Monthly Archives: August 2012

Modric and Song arrivals indicate Barcelona and Real are thinking about each other’s style

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“Last night’s Supercopa match – a 2-1 win to Real, meaning they won the tie on away goals – highlighted the huge difference in playing style between the two sides. Real dominated the game in the opening period when the match was frantic and direct. Constant long balls in behind the Barcelona defence produced numerous chances and a red card for Adriano, and Real could have been 4-0 up before Barcelona had even started playing. But Barcelona dominated the second half, even with ten men, as Real dropped off and let Barcelona dictate the tempo. Barcelona’s passing is quick, in terms of going from player to player, but the speed of their attacks from back to front is very slow and patient.” Zonal Marking

Supercopa de España: Real Madrid 2-1 FC Barcelona: Player Ratings
“A day later than usual, but here are the Player Ratings for Barcelona’s 1-2 defeat against Real Madrid” Barca Blaugranes

Are Sergio Ramos And Gerard Pique Really As Good As They Appear?
“We are routinely told that these two Spanish defenders are the best in the world. But is their supposed greatness a fortunate by-product of being a member of all-conquering teams?” Sabotage Times

Spartans fail to sparkle

“(With pre-emptive apologies to Harry Pearson – it’s impossible to have read The Far Corner and write about non-league football (and non-league football in the North-East, especially) without succumbing to the temptation to imitate his style…) My home town Morpeth – securely and perhaps smugly middle-class – is located at something of a crossroads. Leave the self-styled ‘ancient market town’ and venture north or west in the direction of the Scottish border and you find yourself in the romantic ‘Northumbria’ of the postcards and tourist brochures: mile upon mile of unpopulated scenic countryside, picturesque castles and expansive, unspoilt, golden beaches.” thetwounfortunates

Tomtom Zola Moukoko and How Football Manager Stole My Life

“One game, a lifelong obsession, and an IBWM exclusive piece for you to understand a little more about the book. Stalking is such an ugly word, full of needlessly negative connotations. I prefer to see myself as a sort of digital detective – a dedicated disciple of those who secured immortality through the Championship/Football Manager series. It was my job – if I can call what was a hugely enjoyable pursuit a ‘job’ – to track down and extract anecdotal gems from 26 of these unlikely superstars for Football Manager Stole My Life. So six months ago – armed with little more than a notepad, pen, phone and the reckless optimism possessed by battle-hardened Scotland supporters – I set off on my quest.” In Bed With Maradona

amazon: Football Manager Stole My Life

Football has gone back to the back three, but why can be a mystery

James Milner
“Everything tactical in football is relative. There are few absolutes; everything has meaning and relevance only in relation to everything else. The question ‘What’s the best formation?’ is nonsensical because it depends on so many subsidiary questions: who are my players? How fit are they? How confident are they? How motivated are they? What are they used to doing? What result do we need from this game? Are we home or away? What is the weather like? What is the pitch like? Who are the opposition? How do they play? What shape do they play? How are their form and fitness? Even if a manager can accurately assess all of that, it may still be that after 10 minutes it becomes apparent that he needs to tweak something because of a player, whether on his side or the opponent’s, suddenly having a great game or an appalling game.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Aguero & Messi – Argentina’s perfect partners

“Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini was frustrated when his striker Sergio Aguero was called up by Argentina for a friendly against Germany two weeks ago. And he is exasperated to see Aguero’s name in his country’s squad for the coming World Cup qualifiers. The trip to Germany came just a few days before City began their defence of the Premier League title. And Aguero’s injury means that he has limited chances of being fit in time to play for his country next month. A journey across the Atlantic is quite possibly not an ideal part of the player’s recovery. Mancini’s position, then, is totally understandable. But so too is that of Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella.” BBC – Tim Vickery

Fabulous Falcao

“In the era of the ‘false 9,’ there is no truer No. 9 than Radamel Falcao. He’d look wrong with any other number on his back, having worn the traditional striker’s shirt for River Plate, Porto, Atletico Madrid and the Colombian national team. After Pippo Inzaghi’s retirement, the Colombian has assumed the role of being the most renowned penalty box poacher in European football. His hat trick against Athletic Bilbao on Monday night was another demonstration of his brilliant goal-scoring ability.” ESPN – Michael Cox

Bundes-Blogging, Week 1

“Opening days always feel a little uneasy. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the United States or Germany, watching football or baseball. I’m not talking about nerves, either. Nerves are obviously part of it: The players look anxious, as do the fans, who have spent the offseason consuming transfer news and carefully calibrating expectations.” ESPN

Horst Blankenburg: the forgotten man of German football

“Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Sepp Maier. These are just some of the most successful and celebrated German footballers of all time, winning just about everything there was to win with club and country. Horst Blankenburg on the other hand is not a name that immediately springs to mind when discussing Germany’s most successful footballers but certainly merits a mention, at least at club level. Yet, few remember or know much about the man that never quite fit in in Germany and had to leave his home country to truly make a name for himself.” World Soccer (Video)

Consistency Remains Brendan Rodgers Biggest Challenge

“At least, we might surmise, the waves of panic might be starting to recede from lapping against the walls of Anfield now. On Sunday afternoon, Liverpool put in about as complete a performance as could have been hoped for considering their wretched start to the season against West Bromwich Albion eight days previously in holding Manchester City to a two-all draw in front of the television cameras. There was plenty for Liverpool supporters to be optimistic about, as well. The debut of Raheem Sterling, after three appearances from the substitutes bench, showed off a player with a sack of potential, while Joe Allen, whose signature from Swansea City for £15m raised eyebrows at the amount of money paid, put in about as accomplished a performance as Liverpools midfield has seen since the club started its slide down the Premier League table a couple of years ago.” twohundredpercent

Roberto Mancini may be frustrated over Manchester City’s transfer policy but the buzzword is sustainability

“In the background will be the clinking sounds of yachts, Champagne flutes and roulette wheels, making Monaco a slightly surreal setting for a discussion on tightening belts and balancing books. Marwood, though, does not need any advice from Platini’s Financial Fair Play document or any prompting on the need for fiscal restraint. Contrary to popular perception, the buzzword ‘sustainability’ has long been heard within the corridors of power at City.” Telegraph – Henry Winter

Total Football Comes To Loftus Road – The 1975/76 Season

“QPR fans disillusioned with their recent state of affairs (Four Year Plans, F1 moguls, narcissistic midfielders and the rest of it) will always hark back to the 1970s as the most glorious period in the club’s history. The pinnacle of this was the 1975-6 season, their ‘annus mirabilis’, in which Rangers finished runners-up in the First Division, to this day their highest ever finish.” In Bed With Maradona

Rooney & Messi: Strikers Today, But The Pirlos Of The Future?

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“Football is quickly evolving and it’s no longer good enough to be a specific specialist. Could forwards like Rooney and Messi be making a move down field in the future?” Sabotage Times

African Football and the Power Of Juju

“Superstitions are not uncommon in sport, and football and its players are no exception to this rule. From the greatest in the sport to the myriad others hoping to become so, weird practices/routines before, during or after the game are as much as a part of playing the game itself. Chelsea captain and England defender, John Terry apparently sits in the same place in the team bus. Former England and Manchester United defender, Gary Neville too admits to following set routines – same set of shoes, same belt, etc. In a desperate attempt to help his team get back to winning ways, Barry Fry, during his days as the Birmingham City manager, admitted to urinating in the 4 corners of the field. His team did fare much better, but Fry was soon kicked out.” In Bed With Maradona

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City: neither entirely comfortable with new approach

“Liverpool scored from two dead ball situations, Manchester City scored after some poor defending. Brendan Rodgers gave a full league debut to Raheem Sterling on the left wing, and played Sebastian Coates rather than Jamie Carragher at the back. Lucas Leiva started in midfield despite getting injured in the warm-up, and was replaced after three minutes by Jonjo Shelvey, with Joe Allen dropping into the Lucas role.” Zonal Marking

Man City salvages tie vs. Liverpool
“Carlos Tevez pounced on a Martin Skrtel mistake to continue his Manchester City rehabilitation by snatching a draw for the champions at Liverpool. The Argentinian, now firmly back in favor, seized on a backpass to strike his side’s second equalizer and prevent City from slipping to their first Barclays Premier League defeat of the season. Liverpool was much improved after crashing 3-0 at West Brom in its opener and twice led a pulsating clash with goals from Skrtel and Luis Suarez on either side of a Yaya Toure effort.” ESPN

Leading Manchester City To European Glory And My Finest Football Manager Moments

“Hi, my name is Ben and I’m a recovering Football Manager addict. In the past, I’ve spent weekends holed up in my room playing the game as the world passes me by. I’ve openly discussed tactics my friends and my brother, talking about potential signings, youth-team products, training schedules; anything you can think of, it has been conversed.” Sabotage Times

Forza Pro

Genoa – Pro Vercelli, 0 -1, 1913
“I have a magical connection with the tiny Italian soccer club Pro Vercelli because I once spent a year pretending to be them in a video game. Moreover, I spent a year blogging extensively about pretending to be them in a video game. Without going too deeply into my reasons for doing this — more or less the usual Internet cocktail of narcissism, a ‘desire to interrogate constructions of fantasy and reality in sports,’ and generally warm feelings about playing Football Manager at two in the afternoon for money — I can say that the project spiraled hopelessly out of control, sucked in hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of words, generated about a million inside jokes on my old soccer site, and left me with a permanent love for this obscure little club from a city of fewer than 50,000 people in the northern Italian province of Piedmont.” Grantland – Brian Phillips

Pro Vercelli: They were one of history’s greatest teams
“But by the late 2000s, Pro Vercelli were entrenched in the lower leagues, their glorious past forgotten. Until one day, a man bought a video game. Read the uplifting saga of a small-town Italian club, an unknown American manager, triumph, betrayal, passion, and several extremely good recipes, from start to finish below.” Run of Play

Barca edges Real in Super Cup thriller

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“In the first half, the heat won. In the second, football did. Five goals, ranging from the beautiful to the bizarre, a fight back from each side, incident, atmosphere and a perfect first-leg scene setter for next Wednesday when the Supercopa trophy will be awarded to the winner. Advantage Barcelona for a number of reasons, but absolutely not a definitive advantage. We have game on.” ESPN

Barcelona give Real Madrid life with late blunder
“Barcelona managed to grab a narrow 3-2 victory against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in the away leg of the Spanish Supercopa. Pedro Rodriguez, Xavi Hernandez and Lionel Messi scored the goals for the Blaugranas. The match started as most of us expected, with Barcelona building patiently with long periods of possession and Real Madrid sitting deep in their own half. Pedro and Alexis kept opening the pitch from the wings, making themselves available, often cutting into the striking positions. A couple of missed chances by Lionel Messi contributed to the 0-0 result at halftime.” ESPN

Supercopa de España: FC Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid: Player Ratings
OpenCalais

Heart of Midlothian 0 – 1 Liverpool

“An own goal from Andy Webster was all that separated the two sides as Liverpool scraped a narrow 1-0 victory over Hearts in the Europa League play-off at Tynecastle. Hearts impressed for much of the tie before suffering a late blow against their Premier League visitors, who made the trip across the border without a number of star players.” ESPN

Trading places: Cassano and Pazzini

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Antonio Cassano
“When assessing how realistic a transfer rumor is, you can be fairly confident that any mooted ‘exchange’ deal won’t happen, especially when big-name players are involved. They’re often touted, but they rarely happen. Therefore, it’s particularly exciting when an exchange does take place. Samuel Eto’o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic swapping clubs three years ago was an astonishing transfer. The consensus was that Inter Milan had got themselves a great deal.” ESPN – Michael Cox

Taking Comfort in Statistics

“The grand opening of Manchester City’s player data archives last week was, they pronounced, ‘for the benefit of analytics in football,’ aimed at creating a ‘data culture in the UK.’ There was something giddily optimistic, even futuristic, about what is (to some people at least) a relatively worthy, earnest ambition.” Tomkins Times

Injuries hurting, but Man Utd failed to address its most pressing needs

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“Rafa Benitez’s 2004 departure from Valencia — after a dispute with sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch — brought one of the great expressions of managerial frustration. On Monday, in its 1-0 Premier League season-opening defeat at Everton, Manchester United was left wandering around looking for somewhere to sit down and seeing only covers for light bulbs. Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa are excellent players. That is not in dispute. The question is whether they are the players United needed.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

No excuses as rich Paris St-Germain continue poor start to season

“With billionaire owners and big-spending clubs, ridicule is never far away. Even those who don’t hate them for their wealth and the way they’ve skewed the competition can hardly help but smirk when things go against them and the little man fights back. Paris St-Germain have never been a popular club but they are in danger of becoming a ridiculous club, at least in the short term. Having needed a last-minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic equaliser to take a point from Lorient on the opening weekend of the season, they were held to a goalless draw by Ajaccio on Sunday.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Arsenal place faith in brains over brawn

“Alex Song’s £15million move to Barcelona, only days after the club announced the sale of Robin van Persie, means Arsenal have now covered the cost of investment on Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla entirely. As Gunnerblog writes; ‘it’s almost as if we planned it like this.’ Whether or not you feel this is good practice for a football club supposed to be competing for top honours doesn’t matter; the mood of the Arsenal online Diaspora seems to be a resounding ‘meh.’” Arsenal Column

The Donkeys Continue To Fly

“Donkeys will fly before Chievo makes it to Serie A.’ This was a chant directed towards and poking fun at local upstarts ChievoVerona from fans of city rivals Hellas Verona. Yet after a decade of contrasting fortunes for both clubs, the underdogs are currently having the last laugh. While Verona have spent most of the 2000s attempting to reclaim a place in the top flight, Chievo have all but sustained a place in Serie A since their historic promotion in 2001, even twice competing in Europe.” In Bed With Maradona

Atletico Madrid – It’s A Mad World

Radamel Falcao
“Atlético Madrid ended last season in some style, just missing out on a Champions League place after surging up the La Liga table and then winning a terrific Europa League final 3-0 against Athletic Bilbao with two goals from their prolific Colombian forward Radamel Falcao, the man known as ‘El Tigre’. This was particularly impressive after their faltering start following the sale of many leading players last summer, including their South American strikers, Sergio Aguero to Manchester City and Diego Forlán to Inter.” Swiss Ramble

Everton 1-0 Manchester United: Fellaini dominates in the air

“Marouane Fellaini was the game’s star player, and scored the winning goal with a fine header. David Moyes used a familiar 4-4-1-1 system, with Fellaini deployed behind Nikica Jelavic. Sir Alex Ferguson had major injury problems at the back, with Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand all out. Michael Carrick had to play at the back, and Antonio Valencia started at right-back, with Rafael still recovering from the Olympics. Further forward, Shinji Kagawa started as the number ten, but Robin van Persie remained on the bench.” Zonal Marking

Ferguson showcases a 4-2-1-3 against Everton
“The main story on the night was Everton’s excellent performance, but the more significant development in the long-term was Manchester United’s choice of formation and personnel. The arrivals of both Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie have seen many questions about precisely how they’ll fit into the side, and while this starting XI doesn’t solve the issue of where van Persie plays, it hints at a change in strategy.” Zonal Marking

Neymar must leave comfort zone to fulfil promise

“On Wednesday Neymar helped Brazil to a morale-boosting 3-0 win away to Sweden. The next evening he was back in action on the other side of the Atlantic, in Florianopolis in the south of Brazil, where he played the starring role as Santos came from behind to seal a 3-1 victory against Figueirense.” BBC – Tim Vickery

Reading between the results

“The surprise opening day thrashing is becoming a routine part of the Premier League’s opening weekend. In 2010-11, newly promoted Blackpool beat Wigan 4-0 away from home. Last year, Bolton also recorded a surprise 4-0 road win over Queens Park Rangers. This time, we saw three big wins — Fulham defeated Norwich 5-0; Swansea traveled to QPR and was victorious by the same score line; West Bromwich Albion recorded a 3-0 win over Liverpool.” ESPN

Real Madrid 1-1 Valencia: Xabi Alonso dictates the game but Real fail to find the finishes

“Mauricio Pellegrino’s debut as Valencia coach resulted in a draw at the Bernabeu. Jose Mourinho’s side was very familiar from last season – no new signings played. The main surprise was that Lassana Diarra was fielded alongside Xabi Alonso in midfield. Valencia continued to play in a 4-2-3-1 system, the formation they’ve pretty much used since Pellegrino’s mentor Rafael Benitez was in charge of the club a decade ago. New signings Joao Pereira, Fernando Gago and Andres Guardado all slotted in where you’d expect. This was a game that started surprisingly open, before becoming increasingly cagey as the match wore on, as Valencia sensed they could pick up a draw by parking the bus.” Zonal Marking

Camp Nou news

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“Last season, as regular readers may recall, I dragged my young daughter from San Sebastian to the Camp Nou to watch Barcelona v Real Sociedad, only to experience the coldest night in the city for 50 years. However, the thoroughly decent 2-1 result helped to keep our toes warm.” ESPN

10 Best Bundesliga Bargain Transfers 2012/13

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“With the 50th Bundesliga season just days away, Bundesliga clubs are still fine tuning their squads and making adjustments where needed. With most transfers out of the way already, here are some of the best moves made by clubs in the league ahead of the 2012/13 season, players who might not have stolen the headlines but who could turn out to be the best bargain buys of the season.” Bundesliga Fanatic

Barcelona 5 – 1 Real Sociedad

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“Messi bags brace for five-goal Barca. David Villa scored in his first competitive appearance of the year and Lionel Messi netted a brace as Barcelona claimed a convincing 5-1 victory over Real Sociedad in new coach Tito Vilanova’s Primera Division debut in the Nou Camp hotseat.” ESPN

La Liga: FC Barcelona 5-1 Real Sociedad: Player Ratings
“Is there a better way to start the season? Real Madrid dropped points against Valencia, at the Bernabeu no less, and in response, Barcelona put five past Real Sociedad. As opening days go, this was pretty good from a Barca perspective. The season ahead is going to be tough, but even at this early stage, a two-point differential could make all the difference. But it wasn’t just the results, it was also the performances.” Barca Blaugranes

Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham: Pardew switches formation; Ben Arfa excels in both systems

“Newcastle started their 2012/13 campaign with a hard-fought victory over Tottenham. Fabricio Coloccini wasn’t fit to start for Newcastle, so Alan Pardew used James Perch at centre-back. New signing Vernon Anita was on the bench. Andre Villas-Boas left Jan Vertonghen and Rafael van der Vaart on the bench. Jermain Defoe, Tottenham’s only senior striker, played upfront. This game started slowly but got progressively more interesting. There were three main points of interest – (a) Villas-Boas’ strategy in his first game at Tottenham, (b) the battle down Newcastle’s right in the first half, and (c) Pardew’s half-time change in formation.” Zonal Marking

Chelsea’s inventive midfielders will benefit Fernando Torres

“It’s difficult to work out Roberto Di Matteo’s preferred football style. When he was manager of West Bromwich Albion his side played an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 system, but he was sacked 18 months ago because the side conceded too many goals, among reports that little time was spent working on team shape in training. In stark contrast, Di Matteo won the Champions League last season by assembling an extremely defensive side that benefited from admirable organisation.” Guardian

Ten Reasons to Love the Football League

“So Football is officially dead then – beside images of sideburns, NHS celebrations, Kenneth Branagh in a top hat, a Somali-born hero, David Rudisha, the lightning bolt and the tranquil surrounds of ‘Eton Dorney’, the game has lost its sheen – embattled as it was when Freddie Flintoff inspired an Embrace song in 2005 and Jonny drop kicked that ball two years before. Well maybe – but we still feel there are reasons to celebrate the return of the round ball – and the Football League in particular. Hence, Lanterne Rouge (LR), Lloyd (LL) and John McGee (JM) have been called upon to provide 10 reasons why the resumption of hostilities is to be welcomed this blisteringly hot August Saturday.” thetwounfortunates

Premier League preview: Breaking down every club’s outlook by tier

“The new Premier League season is about to begin, which means it’s time to dig out the Magic 8 ball, give it a shake and ask: How will things go this year? In recent seasons, teams have been separated into four groupings: top four, the chasing few, the bottom five and the rest. That doesn’t seem like such a good breakdown in 2012, as only a few clubs stand a probable chance at winning the title. A far greater number approach the season with at least a tang of apprehension as the rest of the table is concerned.” SI

England: preview of the 2012-13 season

“The England national side may have battled bravely through the Euro 2012 group stage this summer before their limitations were exposed, but there can be no doubting the strength of the English game at club level.” World Soccer

Sócrater the Liberator

“When the news broke in September last year that Sócrates, the legendary Brazilian midfielder, had been rushed to hospital for an emergency operation, I feared the worst. O Doutor had been a committed fan of alcohol and cigarettes for many years, I assumed his illness was related to his lifestyle choices. It appeared at first that he might be able to shake his sickness off, like he had so many opposing players. This time it was one attacker too many for him. Sócrates lived life by his own rules, and when the rules didn’t suit him he changed them. He was a marvellous footballer and always politically engaged, something he continued after retiring from playing. Indeed it is his involvement in the ‘Corinthians Democracy’ that particularly drew me to read about his life.” In Bed With Maradona

Baggies condemn Reds to nightmare start

“West Brom stunned 10-man Liverpool with a resounding victory to mark the start of the Steve Clarke era in style in this Premier League encounter at the Hawthorns. A superb strike from Zoltan Gera, Peter Odemwingie’s penalty plus a header from on-loan newcomer Romelu Lukaku made it a miserable day for new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool also had defender Daniel Agger sent off early in the second period and looked a shambles at the back in the final half hour.” ESPN

Things to watch differently in the Premier League this season #1 – Corners

“Manchester United took more corners than any other team bar Liverpool in the EPL last season. They also scored 20% of their goals from headers. On top of this only Blackburn and Manchester City scored more goals from set-pieces than United. For these reasons Differentgame thought they’d be the best team to have a look at to set some things straight about the corner kick. Actually, mainly just one thing: ‘How can a professional footballer not even beat the first man from a corner?'” Different Game

Back to business in La Liga

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“What a summer! Spain made history, Barca and Real Madrid rivalries were well and truly set aside in the best interests of La Roja and now La Liga is back in all its glory. We face threats, opportunities, fun, confusion, skill and — above all — dramatic entertainment. It’s good to be back. So, as is traditional before the season kicks off, let’s look at five things to pay attention to in the short, mid and long term of Spain’s La Liga season.” ESPN

Though Your Dreams Be Tossed and Blown

“When I look ahead to the 2012-13 Premier League season — which starts Saturday, if you can believe that — when I gaze into the swirling void of the future, and try to answer urgent questions like ‘How many points will Manchester City win by’ and ‘Reading: ??’ — when I think about the Premier League at all in terms other than Robin van Persie, nightclub groping incidents, and money, I see a darkness, and the name of the darkness is Liverpool.” Grantland

New starts for the Premier League’s fresh-faced managers

“Paul Lambert, Aston Villa. A large part of Lambert’s success at Norwich was his ability to switch seamlessly between systems – between and within matches – using a 5-3-2, a 4-4-1-1, a midfield diamond and a 4-4-2 at various points last season. Three of his summer recruits, Brett Holman, Karim El Ahmadi and Matthew Lowton, are versatile, indicating that Lambert intends to continue this approach at Villa Park. But these reactive tactics do not necessarily result in defensive football – last season, only the top six scored more goals than Lambert’s side, only the bottom three conceded more. Having seen Alex McLeish’s side score only 20 goals in 19 home games last season, Villa fans will enjoy the entertainment. …” Guardian

Premier League storylines to watch

“They called it The Greatest Season Ever, and in terms of drama, the 2011-12 Premier League campaign will be hard to beat. A little more than three months, another Spanish tournament victory and a successful Olympic Games later, and the Premier League is back and likely to dominate the British sporting agenda — like it or not — for the next nine months. Here are 10 storylines to monitor in the run-up to kickoff.” SI

Mancini to use a three-man defence as plan B?

“Sunday’s Community Shield was an enjoyable, eventful match – but it was difficult to take too many conclusions from it. It wasn’t just that the match is something of an irrelevance (a feeling supported by the fact Branislav Ivanovic escaped a ban for his red card because the match isn’t considered a first-team game – Ivanovic is instead suspended from three reserve matches), but due to the red card itself. It arrived a couple of minutes after Chelsea went 1-0 up, and though Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea have shown their ability to withstand heavy pressure with only ten men previously, this is a large caveat when praising Manchester City’s comeback to win 3-2.” Zonal Marking

How does RvP fit into United’s plans?

“Signing the captain of a rival side and the league’s reigning top goal scorer is quite a statement, but on paper, it’s difficult to see where Robin van Persie fits in at Manchester United. It was already hard to understand what Sir Alex Ferguson was planning this season. The partnership of Wayne Rooney behind Danny Welbeck functioned impressively last season — Rooney didn’t have a superb campaign but contributed plenty of goals, while Welbeck impressed in his opening season as a first-teamer.” ESPN

The Bundesliga Lounge Season Preview 2012-13 Magazine

“The Bundesliga is almost upon us again and here at the Bundesliga Lounge we have been busy preparing all you need need for the coming campaign. In 60-pages the e-magazine is your essential guide to this 50th anniversary season.” Bundesliga Lounge

From the Tawe to the Mersey

“18th May 2012: Relief. Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers has rebuked an approach from Liverpool FC. Relief. Unlike his predecessor Roberto ‘they kicked me out as a player, they’ll have to kick me out as a manager’ Martinez, Rodgers had always stated that he was highly ambitious and I felt that an approach by Liverpool would probably turn his head. Amazingly, he chose to stick with the Swans and we looked forward to the good times and the stylish football continuing. Just over a week later, much of the local press had confirmed that Swansea had all but secured the permanent services of their highly talented loanee Gylfi Sigurdsson, subject to the usual medical, agreeing personal terms etc. on the Monday following. All was rosy in SA1.” Tomkins Times

The rise of Mexican soccer is a positive for the United States

“I’m going to say something that may bother you: The rise of Mexican soccer is only a good thing for the United States. That’s not to say it’s easy right now if you’re a fan of the U.S. men’s soccer team. In fact, it’s probably painful, a sharp and enduring ache that feels like a punch to the gut. The U.S. meets its greatest rival, Mexico, in an exhibition here on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2/3, Univision) — I’m sure as hell not calling it a ‘friendly’ — and the gap between the two countries is bigger than it has been in more than 20 years. Just last Saturday, Mexico won the Olympic gold medal, outplaying a star-studded Brazil team that will provide much of that nation’s 2014 World Cup squad. The U.S., by contrast, failed to even qualify for the Games.” SI

Drugs, Mafia And Murder: The Ten Most Corrupt Football Leagues Ever

“The Premier League might get on your nerves and agents might make you scream, but it has nothing on the ten most bent leagues in the world and the hookers, murderers and extortionists who populate them…” Sabotage Times, amazon: Jon Spurling

The Dark History Of The World Cup by Jon Spurling
“Zaire full-back Mwepu Ilunga’s odd behaviour at the 1974 finals, breaking off from the defensive wall to boot the ball away just as Brazil’s Rivelino is about to take a free-kick, has gone down as one of the most comical scenes in World Cup history. It is replayed time and again on the obligatory TV clips shows in the run-up to each subsequent tournament. What John Motson described as ‘a bizarre moment of African innocence’ was actually more a moment of desperation, one man trying to run down the clock and prevent a third Brazilian goal, thereby salvaging a sliver of national pride.” WSC

Death or Glory
“In 1974 Zaire’s football team were summoned into a room in their West German hotel and told that if they lost to Brazil by more than three goals the following day they would never see their families again. In this astonishing book Jon Spurling has travelled the world to scratch beneath the glossy, confetti-strewn surface of the world’s biggest sporting event to uncover its dark secrets. In this astonishing book Jon Spurling has travelled the world to scratch beneath the glossy, confetti-strewn surface of the world’s biggest sporting event to uncover its dark secrets.” amazon: Death or Glory, Jon Spurling

I Bought Manchester United

“We are all fans here, and part of being a fan involves the desire to prove that you are as much of a fan as the next fan. From lightning round recall of stats or trivia (‘Favorite actor: Denzel Washington’) to the authenticity of having been born into your allegiances, there are plenty of ways to win in the homosocial arena of the bar or friend-of-a-friend’s living room. But how many of us are willing to further incentivize those till-the-death allegiances — to make a literal, binding, supra-tattoo investment in a sortie of dudes we will never meet?” Grantland

Eduard Geyer: miracle man of FC Energie Cottbus

“With the increasing competitiveness of the Bundesliga, and clubs now as reliant as ever on money to succeed, it certainly isn’t easy for clubs from the east to compete. We are about to enter the fourth successive season without an eastern club in the top flight, and, in the 17 years since SG Dynamo Dresden’s relegation from the Bundesliga in 1994/95, only two clubs from the east have played in the Bundesliga.” World Soccer

Gattuso settles in to life away from AC Milan

“AC Milan have had the kind of summer where season ticket refunds are demanded. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva have both departed for Paris Saint-Germain, while the majority of their Serie A and Champions League winning veterans have been cut adrift. Alessandro Nesta has signed up for 18 months at Montreal Impact and Clarence Seedorf has agreed a two-year deal at Botafogo after a ten-year spell with the Rossoneri. Filippo Inzaghi has ended his 21-year playing career, including 11 seasons at Milan, to coach their Allievi Nazionali youth side.” WSC

Lionel Messi Greatest Moments in Argentina – Dribbling Compilation

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“Lionel Messi’s greatest moments in Argentina from 2005-2012” YouTube (Video)

What is Soccer’s Business?

LUFC
“The business of a soccer club is to produce a winning team. At the end of the day sports are a form of entertainment. Too often, though, actions taken place in the board room or at the negotiating table take away from the entertainment displayed on the field. At times, the aggressiveness and sometimes greediness of clubs leads to failure on the field. Specifically, the mountains of debt some European clubs have amassed in recent years often do more harm than good for a club. Last year, players in La Liga — one of the world’s richest leagues — nearly went on strike when one club failed to pay wages.” Soccer Politics

Liverpool’s 4-3 Thriller Over Newcastle And 9 Other Great Premiership Games

“he countdown is in full swing: in just nine days’ time the Barclays Premier League returns to action after its annual summer hiatus and the anticipation is building for what promises to be the most exciting season to date. Manchester City’s stunning title victory in the dying breaths of a rollercoaster 2011/12 season signalled a renaissance for the self-proclaimed ‘Greatest League In The World’, for so long monopolised by Manchester United and a small coterie of clubs whose title wins have peppered a landscape otherwise traditionally swathed in the distinctive red of the Manchester monolith.” Sabotage Times (Video)

Brazil fail to learn defensive lessons

“A dream realised, a quest for gold finally successful and a new name added to the roll of honour. We just didn’t expect it to be Mexico. Brazilian football cannot yet call itself all-conquering since the Olympic Games have again caused them pain and with it ravaged their credentials at the 2014 World Cup they will host.” ESPN

Maradona Collage By the Wild Bunch

“One of the best resources on the internet, The Wild Bunch website is a part French, part English language site which covers global football with a real retro slant. Featuring downloadable movies and an *huge* amount of great imagery, it’s unlikely you’ll not find something that raises a smile. The latest project for TWB is a hugely impressive collage of photographs featuring one Diego Maradona at various stages in his career. You’ll need to zoom in to get the full effect, but do check it out and make sure you bookmark The Wild Bunch.” In Bed With Maradona

PSG is primed to dominate Ligue 1

“When France’s Ligue 1 kicks off this weekend, it will likely attract more attention than any Championnat since the early 1990s, when Marseille ruled the roost and Monaco was led by a lanky, bespectacled young manager named Arsene Wenger. Now you have Paris St. Germain, whose net spend in the past 15 months is around a quarter of a billion (with a ‘B’) dollars. And if recent reports linking PSG to Lucas Moura are to be believed, it could go even higher. In terms of financial muscle, it’s on a par with anyone in Europe right now.” ESPN (Video)

Juventus must fight the right fight

“Fresh from completing an undefeated title-winning campaign, Juventus seemed to have finally put the horrors of 2006 and the Calciopoli scandal behind them. The club is under a completely new management structure, starting with president Andrea Agnelli – son of Umberto and nephew of the iconic Gianni – through to director general Beppe Marotta and ultimately ending with coach Antonio Conte, separating themselves further still from the murky behaviour of Luciano Moggi and his cohorts.” ESPN