Pedro
“Who are your top 3 players in the world? Naturally it changes every couple of years as new stars emerge. At the end of 2011? Here’s Luke Colbourne on a contender.” In Bed With Madadona
The Man They Call Pedro
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Author Archives: 1960s: Days of Rage
Nicolas Anelka as a trequartista?
“It was assumed that Fernando Torres’ arrival would mean a place on the bench for Nicolas Anelka, but Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over Sunderland showed that Carlo Ancelotti might have a different role in mind for the Frenchman. So far this season, Chelsea have generally lined up in a 4-3-3 shape, with Anelka and Florent Malouda either side of Didier Drogba. In the long term, Torres might not be competing with Anelka and Drogba, who will be 32 and 33 respectively by the end of this campaign, but for the final months of the season, Ancelotti has somewhat of a selection dilemma, with three top-class strikers.” Zonal Marking
Ambrosini – Lazio vs Milan – 2004
“Michael Cox is the editor of the award-winning tactics site Zonal Marking. He also does regular chalkboard analysis for the Guardian and appears on their Football Weekly podcast. But then, you probably knew all that. So let’s just hear about Michael’s favourite goal …” Ghost Goal
European Football Weekend’s Danny Last: ‘I can ask for two beers in 12 languages’
“Ask Danny Last, editor of European Football Weekends, whether he thinks Fernando Torres will be a success for Chelsea and you’ll most likely be greeted with a blank stare and disinterested mumbles. But ask him about football stadiums in Romania or fan culture in Turkey and the response couldn’t be more different. Like a frog in a pond or Jose Mourinho in a press conference, Danny is at home when he speaks about football travel culture. It is his passion and for many years it has taken over his life.” Football Nomad
True Grit
“AC Milan have been making waves in the transfer market of late. But as Adam Digby reports, their most important addition could be a veteran centre-back with a fascinating story.” In Bed With Maradona
Invasion of the (friendly) Vikings
“As you dear readers will know, a few weeks ago we popped down to the Keith Tuckey Stadium to take in a game at one of the most newsworthy sides in the Non Leagues, namely, Croydon Athletic. Unless you have been living in Ignorance, Texas then you will have seen the recent take over of the club by a Danish organisation called Fodboldselskabet A/S. My superb Danish skills can tell you that the literal translation is Soccer Company. And that is essentially what they are. A limited company formed to invest and run a football club. Many questioned their potential involvement in English football, so we went round the corner from TBIR’s Copenhagen office to speak to Morten Madsen, Communications Manager for the club and ask him Vad är poängen?” The Ball Is Round
Liverpool 2-0 Stoke: Dalglish switches to a three-man defence
“Raul Meireles and Luis Suarez scored the goals as Liverpool eased to victory. Kenny Dalglish named an interesting team, with Luis Suarez on the bench and Dirk Kuyt upfront alone. Tony Pulis played a 4-5-1 shape – John Carew made his full debut.” Zonal Marking
Liverpool 2 – 0 Stoke City
“Luis Suarez scored on his debut as Liverpool concluded a turbulent few days with a valuable victory over Stoke. The Uruguayan slotted home the Reds’ second goal of the game in front of the Kop to ensure Fernando Torres’ £50 million move to Chelsea was no longer the major talking point. And if questions were being asked about how the Reds would cope in their former striker’s absence then efforts by Suarez and Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles – with his third goal in four matches – provided a swift answer.” ESPN
Reds deals signal break with recent past
“The British record transfer has been attributed to the overseas owner. Rightly so, too. Without Roman Abramovich’s investment of £50 million, Fernando Torres would not be a Chelsea player. Yet this is a deal that owes its origins to another boardroom altogether. It is proof that the poisonous legacy of Tom Hicks and George Gillett extended after the Americans’ time at Anfield officially ended.” ESPN
English Premier League Video Highlights
“Below are video highlights for all the EPL matches on February 1, 2011, February 2, 2011.” The 90th Minute, The 90th Minute
Palermo 2-1 Juventus: Palermo pass around opponents early on, before Juve waste chances
“Juventus were made to pay for their terrible start here, and lost the game despite dominating for long periods. Delio Rossi made one change from the weekend defeat to Inter, as Sinisa Andelkovic came in for Ezequiel Muñoz. However, he was forced to replace Federico Balzaretti early on, and brought on Matteo Darmian at left-back.” Zonal Marking
Hessenthaler – Stoke vs Gillingham – 2000
“Gav Stone is the editor of Les Rosbifs – a fantastic site dedicated to English footballers playing overseas. You can follow him on Twitter @LesRosbifs .. Here is Gav’s favourite goal (it’s No.1 at the end of the video below)…” Ghost Goal
The lost fluency – Blackpool v West Ham
“West Ham outworked Blackpool in the central area of the pitch to record a deserved victory as Ian Holloway shuffled his team selection which ultimately appeared to disrupt the fluency that they have found at many stages this season.” Tangerine Dreaming
Ronaldo and the Thief of Culture
Ronaldo
“Does anyone know who’s leading the Liga? No, not La Liga; the Liga, the Primeira Liga—Portugal’s first tier of domestic football. Does anyone know? Does anyone care? Heck, even I’ve been known to look past the Primeira Liga, and I’m Portuguese. That’s the lure of the fast-paced, money-rich, crowd-packed Premier Leagues and Bundesligas and La Ligas of this world, whose fan-friendly cable packages are often too much to resist when the alternative is a game between Paços de Ferreira and Olhanense in an empty back-lot stadium that wouldn’t make it in League Two in England. Most teams in the Championship have bigger attendances and heftier budgets than, oh, around 12 of the 16 teams in the Primeira Liga.” Run of Play
Asian Cup 2011: Five tactical observations
“There may have been comical goalkeeping, half-empty stadiums and a ticketing fiasco that marred the final, but the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar was also able to boast some fine football and a handful of breath-taking matches. Football Further looks at some of the tactical points of interest at the 15th edition of Asia’s showpiece tournament.” Football Further
Arsenal 2-1 Everton: Everton cope with Arsenal’s plan A, but not their plan B
“A very interesting game that Arsene Wenger managed to turn around with a second half change in formation. Arsene Wenger was without Samir Nasri, and chose Tomas Rosicky rather than Andrei Arshavin on the left. The rest of the side was as expected. David Moyes made no changes from the side that drew with Chelsea at the weekend.” Zonal Marking
Arsenal show they have the character for title run-in
“When in a title run-in, there are two ways to assess the crucialness of a fixture in comparison to your rival(s); take it game-by-game and use the league table as your reference or on a team-by-team basis. At 1-0 down against Everton, Arsenal may have done the latter and judged the harshness of the result by the quality of the team they were facing. They knew they had to get a draw at least but because Everton are regarding as a tough team to beat and still have to face Manchester United again, the points dropped could be cancelled out when the pair meet each other.” Arsenal Column
Striker Suarez fits the bill for Liverpool
Luis Suarez
“The last time I saw new Liverpool signing Luis Suarez in the flesh, he was playing his biggest game so far in his native continent. It was November 2009, and Uruguay were taking on Costa Rica with the final place in South Africa 2010 at stake. As Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez reflected recently, the World Cup can be enjoyed but the qualification process has to be suffered. Uruguay certainly suffered to book their place, and despite having a 1-0 lead from the away leg, they were certainly suffering that night against Costa Rica. They dominated the game, but while the goals refused to go in, nerves were jangling, especially for Suarez.” BBC – Tim Vickery
Agony and Empire
“And so it came to pass that a helicopter carrying Fernando Torres touched down on the wreckage of several earlier helicopters only thought to have been carrying Fernando Torres, and Fernando Torres raised his serene gaze from the book about helicopters that he had been reading on his helicopter and looked inscrutably out the window, leaving the rest of us to stare at his helicopter and wonder what it all could mean.” Run of Play
What’s next for Torres & Co.?
“After a flurry of activity on Monday, the January transfer window is closed. Clubs won’t be able to wheel and deal again until the summer. In the meantime, many teams will now have to adjust to new players joining their squads or key players leaving town. Here are the five big questions facing a few clubs in the English Premier League.” ESPN
A difficult decision that Torres could not resist
“Fernando Torres: Chelsea striker. Actually seeing it in writing feels strange, and the sight of him in a blue, rather than red shirt, harder for fans to come to terms with than the fact the former Liverpool number nine switched clubs for a record breaking £50 million. Last week, the idea that we’d be referring to Torres as a former Red by the following Tuesday was simply un-imaginable for the majority of Liverpool fans – yet the feeling that he was at a club progressing much slower than he had hoped had been growing within the player for some time – and when Chelsea made a serious enquiry ahead of Liverpool’s game against Fulham, Fernando sensed that this was an opportunity that he could not resist.” Guillem Balague
Andy Carroll: Is He Worth It?.
“Yesterday marked the third time Kenny Dalglish has broken the English transfer record for a Geordie striker. On the previous two occasions it worked out pretty well. In 1987, Peter Beardsley arrived for £1.9m, and Liverpool turned into arguably the finest English club side seen to date (certainly few have bettered that red vintage). The Reds won the league that season, and in a three year spell were one win away from completing the league and cup double each time.” Tomkins Times
From the Stadium to the Streets in Egypt
“There were several interesting reports this week about the fact that some of the best organized and most effective groups involved in the protests in Egypt came from what some saw as a surprising place: football fan groups.” Soccer Politics
A little information about Ultras fan clubs in Egypt
“Egypt’s football fan clubs are figuring prominently in stories about the current uprising. For readers wanting to learn more about the Ultras in Egypt and their role in the uprising, here are a few links: James M. Dorsey, ‘Soccer Fans Play Key Role in Egyptian Protests’ (readers of this blog will not be surprised, as this is a fairly consistent topic in writing about the sport and politics). The Football Scholars Forum posted a link to that story and to this BBC interview with David Goldblatt (of The Ball is Round): The Secret Policeman’s Football.” From A Left Wing
It’s 1940s month on The Equaliser
“The ‘Decade by Decade’ series continues in February with a look at football in the 1940s. Interrupted by the Second World War, the decade was in many ways a disjointed and transitional one for the game. After the seismic advances of the 1930s, conflict disrupted football’s progress during the first half of the 40s, but that did not prevent a series of fascinating stories coming to pass.” The Equaliser
La Liga’s dullest deadline day ever
“If the Premier League’s final day of the winter window was a giant paella of SKY TV excitement, la Liga’s was a manky grain of rice sitting at the side of the pan with just six piddling transfers being made in the final few hours in Spain. Perky Carolina from Gol TV had been sent to the offices of the LFP where she made the giddy-eyed promise of fax machines whirring away, churning out contract details of Andrés Iniesta heading to his secret love team of Espanyol and Cristiano Ronaldo enjoying the Pamplona experience so much, on Sunday, the forward had decided to opt to play for Osasuna for the rest of his days.” FourFourTwo
1930s Month: Pentland’s Lions of Bilbao
“Athletic Bilbao, the club which has come to popularly represent Basque identity in the sporting world, was founded in 1898 and quickly established itself as one of the strongest teams in Spain. Ten Copa del Rey titles were won in the first twenty-five years of the club’s existence, but it was during the 1930s – following the establishment of the national league in 1928 – that Athletic enjoyed its greatest run of success.” The Equaliser
Are Soccer Fans the Unsung Heroes of Egypt’s Uprising?
“Everyone from the Muslim Brotherhood, to labor unions, to Wikileaks are being credited for contributing to Egypt’s uprising. But what about hardcore soccer fans? These guys are better at tangling with cops than just about anyone. When asked about the role of political groups in organizing protests, prominent Egyptian blogger Alaa abd El-Fatah told Al Jazeera today: ‘The ultras – the football fan associations – have played a more significant role than any political group on the ground at this moment.'” Gawker
Soccer clubs central to ending Egypt’s ‘Dictatorship of Fear’
“Over the decades that have marked the tenure of Egypt’s “President for Life” Hosni Mubarak, there has been one consistent nexus for anger, organization, and practical experience in the ancient art of street fighting: the country’s soccer clubs. Over the past week, the most organized, militant fan clubs, also known as the “ultras,” have put those years of experience to ample use.” SI
Egypt’s Soccer Revolution
“He was wearing a soccer replica-uniform but he was not on his way to watch a game but to Tahrir Square in Cairo to tackle Mubarak and his regime. Some reports from the region suggest that Egypt’s soccer fan organizations, known as Ultras, have been on the vanguard of the country’s revolution. An Egyptian blogger, Alaa Abd El Fattah, was quoted on Al Jazeera, – ‘the Ultras have played a more significant role than any political group on the ground.'” SFGate
‘Ultra’ soccer fans at heart of Egyptian protests
“‘Ultra’ soccer fans in Cairo long have had a reputation for street fighting. This past week, they’ve turned their fury from rival clubs and countries to the government. Alaa Abd El Fattah, a prominent Egyptian blogger, said in an interview seen on Al Jazeera, ‘The ultras – the football fan associations – have played a more significant role than any political group on the ground at this moment.'” SFGate
Non-League Videos of the Week
“It’s time, then, to wind down with our weekly selections of non-league highlights from the last seven days. Our first match this evening comes from Twerton Park, and it’s the Blue Square Premier match between Bath City and Wimbledon. Wimbledon are still chasing a place in the Football League and needed three points from their trip to the west country from this match. Bath, however, may still harbour hopes of a place in the play-offs at the end of the season and provided a stiff test for the team that has spent much of the last few months at the top of the table.” twohundredpercent
Inter 3-2 Palermo: a game of two halves
“2-0 down at half-time, Leonardo gave Giampaolo Pazzini his Inter debut and the game changed dramatically. Leonardo made various changes to his side, but kept the 4-3-1-2 shape he’s used since taking over as manager. Diego Milito returned upfront, Coutinho started as a trequartista. Delio Rossi used his usual 4-3-2-1 system with his expected eleven players – there can’t be many more consistent starting XIs in Europe than Palermo’s.” Zonal Marking
Heerenveen 1 –4 Groningen: A tale of the centre-backs
“Groningen beat Heerenveen for the second time this season. Not only does this mean a second victory over their main rivals after previously beating them 1-0 at home, it also means a second victory of Pieter Huistra over his predecessor Ron Jans. Three important points for Groningen as they maintain their current fourth spot in the Eredivisie which would guarantee Europa League football next season.” 11 tegen 11
Southampton 1-2 Manchester United: Ferguson’s switch back to a system with width turns game
“Manchester United yet again came back from an awful first half display to take the win. Nigel Adkins was without key playmaker Adam Lallana, so went for a fluid 4-3-1-2 / 4-3-3 system. Sir Alex Ferguson made numerous changes, and he also lined up with a 4-3-1-2.” Zonal Marking
Torres, Carroll, Suarez, Adam: Transfer Chaos.
Adoration of the Golden Calf, Jacopo Robusti
“For the first couple of seasons at Liverpool, Fernando Torres was the most complete striker I’d ever seen at the club; Ian Rush’s pace and finishing prowess, but with the ability to also beat defenders with skill and hit a wider variety of strikes. He seemed humble, hard-working and devoted to the club. He was perfect. While his goalscoring remained impressive last season, in spite of injuries and the team’s struggles, his attitude had changed from that of someone grateful to be at the club to that of someone who often looked moody and disinterested, and far too concerned with getting into verbal spats with opposition players. He’d explode into life, but also descend into sulks, as was noted many times. Being managed by Roy Hodgson only deepened his visible depression.” Tomkins Times
Football Weekly podcast: The Torres transfer and a bad romance
“Barry Glendenning makes his return to the Football Weekly pod as AC Jimbo and co look back on the all the action from the FA Cup and speculate wildly on the future of Fernando Torres and various other comings and goings on the last day of the transfer window.” Guardian – James Richardson
The Blackburn Rovers Guide To Mauro Formica
“It’s too early to pass judgement on the Venky’s era at Blackburn Rovers, but any last minute transfer business will give an indication of what’s to come for the Lancashire club. Sam Kelly looks at an intriguing transfer saga.” In Bed With Mardona
Real Failure Is All Barca`s Fault…
“It isn’t a lack of strikers that sees Real Madrid seven points behind Barcelona and Marca’s back page on Monday instructing the Spanish FA to blast the message from their HQ with a megaphone that the Catalan club can ‘pick up the trophy from our offices, whenever you want’.” Football 365
Liverpool cannot afford to lose the battle to keep Fernando Torres
“In the space of six months, all three of English football’s historical triumvirate – as well as its future force – have seen those idols their fans treasure above all others threaten to reject that devotion. Fabregas asked Arsène Wenger to allow him to move to Barcelona; Rooney informed Manchester United he would not sign a new contract; Tévez pleaded with Manchester City to release him from his £160,000-a-week bondage at Eastlands. And now Torres, first “verbally intimating” to Liverpool that he wishes to join Chelsea, then handing in a transfer request.” Telegraph
Liverpool selling Fernando Torres would be a sign of self-confidence
“Football’s most powerful clubs prosper by expelling those who no longer want to work there. The institution asserts its power over the individual. These partings can be painful, and appear calamitous, but there is always another talent out there to be hired. The club renews itself, the departing star is doomed one morning to retire.” Guardian
Everton 1-1 Chelsea: Kalou strike forces replay
“Everton and Chelsea drew 1-1 for the second game running. David Moyes used Jack Rodwell behind Louis Saha, in a 4-4-1-1 system. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov replaced Leon Osman on the left of midfield. Carlo Ancelotti welcomed Frank Lampard back into the side, dropping Jon Obi Mikel and using Michael Essien as the holder. The rest of the side was as expected.” Zonal Marking
Japan 1-0 Australia: late extra time winner
“Tadanari Lee scored a superb volley – his first ever international goal – to win the 2011 Asian Cup. Alberto Zaccheroni made two changes to the side which beat South Korea on penalties. Shinji Kagawa was out injured, so Jungo Fujimoto started and Shinji Okazaki moved to the left. At the back, Maya Yoshida was available again after suspension, and replaced Daiki Iwamasa.” Zonal Marking
Inside the Egyptian revolution
“Recorded shortly before Friday prayers (yesterday), this discussion with three Egyptian political activists in Cairo reveals more about the passions that are driving the Egyptian revolution than any amount of analysis from outside observers. The political power now unleashed across Egypt will topple the Mubarak regime not in spite of being leaderless but because it is leaderless — because it has no ideological or social bias but truly represents the will of the people. …. ‘The ultras — the football fan associations — have played a more significant role than any political group on the ground at this moment,’ Alaa said. ‘Maybe we should get the ultras to rule the country,’ he joked.” War in Context
Arminia Bielefeld 1-3 Hertha BSC
“Hertha comfortably beat Arminia to notch up their 13th win of a professionally conducted 2. Bundesliga campaign. The home side created a nervy last few minutes when Josip Tadić scored in the 85th minute after their first incisive through-ball of the match (Christian Müller). But the away side fully deserved the win, and will go into next week’s derby against Union on top of the league and feeling on top of the world.” Defensive Midfielder
AZ 6-1 VVV
“Kolbeinn Sigþórsson grabbed a quintuple as Gertjan Verbeek’s side grabbed their first win at home since November. Graziano Pellè got an 89th-minute winner when these sides met at De Koel earlier this season, but there was never any danger of AZ needing a late match-clincher this time. The game was sealed just shy of the quarter-hour mark, but perhaps that was unsurprising – Venlo have been on a torrid run of form in the league recently, with no win since November 5, and now 25 goals leaked in the last eight games.” Defensive Midfielder
Super rich at the Super Cup in Super Monaco
“One of the must see places in Europe during your lifetime has to be Monte Carlo, or Monaco to give it its true name. Essentially Monte Carlo is the main town within the principality of Monaco, but as the place is so small there isn’t really room for any other habitats and so the names tend to be interchangeable. The fact still remains though that it ranks up there as one of THE places to be seen in. However, whilst other high class spots such as Marbella, Cannes and Portofino are definitely the playground of the rich, Monaco is actually a place of work.” The Ball Is Round
The adventures of a Motor Man
“It is not often you walk away from a football match counting how much money you have left in your wallet and thinking that you must have had a hidden £20 in there. Admission, programme, beer, plate (yes PLATE) of chips and still change from a tenner (almost) is a bargain in anyone’s book irrespective of the twenty two players running around a muddy pitch.” The Ball Is Round
Manchester City: Understand the tactics, bet accordingly
“There has been plenty of chopping and changing in terms of personnel and systems in the Manchester City camp so far this season. These changes create patterns and therefore betting opportunities, says master of tactics Michael Cox.” Betting Betfair
Suárez & Torres: Dream Team?
“So, one of the world’s best strikers signs, on the day that we’re told one of the world’s best strikers is supposedly intent on leaving. Nothing is ever simple as a Liverpool fan these days, is it? But while Suárez has signed, Torres has yet to go anywhere. In theory, they look like a perfectly balanced front pairing. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to find out.” Tomkins Times
Alex Ferguson Homesick Blues
“Arsene’s on the TV, moanin’ in the microphone,
I’m on the cell phone, talkin’ like a megaphone.
The man in the black shirt, flag out, played off-
side; I got a red top, I wanna knock his fade off.” Run of Play
The Joy of Six: Training-ground set-piece goals
“From Ernie Hunt’s classic to a magic Matt Le Tissier moment, here are half a dozen goals created on the training ground” Guardian
A game played by gentlemen, but not for the fans
“Number 17, Manchester City will play number 32, Manchester United. That concludes the draw for the fourth round of the Carling Cup. Games will be played in week beginning 3rd December 2012 in The Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.” The Ball Is Round
Hakoah Vienna: The triumph and the tragedy
“Few football clubs can lay claim to a history as successful and yet ultimately tragic as that of Hakoah Vienna. An exclusively Jewish team which enjoyed global fame for a short time before being unsentimentally dissolved by Nazi invaders, Hakoah’s history now stands as a monument to the Jewish culture which blossomed in Central Europe during the first decades of the twentieth century, only to be abominably stamped out by the forces of the Third Reich.” The Equaliser
2011 African Nations Championship: A Preview
African Nations Championship – Uganda
“While the Asian Cup may be drawing to a conclusion with Japan facing Australia in the final on Saturday, keen observers of international football don’t have long to wait until their next fix. The second African Nations Championship (CHAN) gets underway on 4th February in Sudan, a tournament similar to the Africa Cup on Nations but with the fundamental difference that it is open only to players who play their football in their domestic leagues.” The Equaliser
Liverpool 1 – 0 Fulham
“Liverpool’s renaissance under Kenny Dalglish continued as victory over Fulham lifted them into their highest Barclays Premier League position of the season. It was not the most notable of performances, although there were plenty of spells of good football from the hosts, as John Pantsil’s second-half own goal divided the teams.” ESPN
Liverpool 1-0 Fulham – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
Future stars on display in the South American U-20 Championships
“Here’s a date for your diary. On Sunday Feb. 6 I can’t believe there’s anything more fascinating taking place in the world of soccer than the clash between Argentina and Brazil in the South American U-20 Championships. Whatever might be happening in England, Spain or anywhere else, this is the date when the city of Arequipa in the south of Peru can claim to be, for 90 minutes at least, the capital of the global game.” SI – Tim Vickery
U.S. talent pool suits a 4-2-3-1
Bob Bradley
“The secret is out on Bob Bradley: The U.S. coach has some tactical wanderlust in him, after all. We all raised a curious brow at that dalliance with the 4-2-3-1 formation late last year, a walk on the wild side for a man previously tied to a 4-4-2. Fans wondered if it was just a brief fling. Now they may be nodding with approval at something that looks more like a steady thing.” SI
FIFA’s Evolution : A Football Marketing Revolution
“Rather luckily for FIFA, there seems to be no way of measuring how much the phrase ‘FIFA’ has come to refer to the video game as opposed to world football’s governing body. And yet the story of FIFA the video game franchise is in many ways a celebration of the power of social marketing and the tremendous rewards it can bring to those who dare to innovate. And spend. It is a story that spans two decades.” The Oval Log
MSV Duisburg 2-0 Kaiserslautern
“Duisburg beat Kaiserslautern in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal as Milan Šašić got one over his former employers. Goals from Branimir Bajić and Goran Šukalo in either half saw the second division side beat their top-flight visitors comfortably at the noisy Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena. They’ll now join fellow 2. Bundesliga side Energie Cottbus in the last-four of Germany’s premier cup competition.” Defensive Midfielder
Videos of the Week: Non-League Special
“It’s time for a bit of a non-league round-up (as is our wont at this time of the week), with highlights of three matches from the last couple of weekend’s worth of matches. First up, we’re taking the opportunity to catch up with one of the matches from the weekend of the 15th of January, with the FA Trophy Second Round match between Blyth Spartans. To people of a certain edge, hearing these two names together will send a shiver down the spine. Blyth Spartans, of course, made the Fifth Round of the FA Cup in 1978 and the Quarter-Finals of the FA Trophy in 1980 and 1983 (beating Altrincham on the way).” twohundredpercent
Hope Springs Eternal At Roma
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
I Wanna Be Anarchy?
“Rebellion in society may be an unusual source for change in football, but after looking at the Dutch ‘Total’ revolution & the Provo movement, Paul Gleeson wonders how a little anarchy might just help the English game” In Bed With Maradona
Soccer Fans Bid Farewell to the ‘Lion of Vienna’
“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
Never Within Reach: Part 1, Part 2
“As the economic crisis affects all areas of daily life in the Republic of Ireland, Lee Daly looks at how the football league has suffered and discovers that not everything can be blamed on the politicians.” In Bed With Maradona – 1, In Bed With Maradona – 2
1930s Month: Scottish football in review
“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
“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…..
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
“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
“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
La Liga legacy
“You’ll forgive me if I ramble a little this week, or even if I fail to tickle your interests, but I’ll try. I’ve been in England all week, and have only just come back. I missed the Valencia versus Malaga game on Saturday night (4-3) which sounded like a cracker, but I did manage to take in the Villarreal versus Real Sociedad game on Sunday evening (2-1), which was also very entertaining fare. In midweek, whilst Betis were doing the unthinkable and beating Barcelona, I was eating my takeaway curry and watching the FA Cup replay of Leeds v Arsenal on the hotel telly.” ESPN
Hull Aint A Bad Place To Be
“Italy’s current crop of goalkeepers is the envy of many rivals. Adam Digby adds another name to the list, one who has chosen a very different path to success.” In Bed With Maradona
2011 Copa Libertadores, map of the 38 clubs in the competition.
“From BBC/football/blogs, Tim Vickery’s Blog, from 24 Jan., ‘Crunch time for Ronaldo and Corinthians‘. The map page shows the 38 clubs’ locations on the map. Flanking the map, grouped by their countries, are the clubs’ profile boxes. Each club’s profile box includes…home kit; crest; city location; stadium(s), and capacity; how the club qualified; national professional titles (with year of last title); total Copa Libertadores appearances (and how the club fared in their last Copa Liberrtadores appearance); and Copa Libertadores titles (with year of last title).” bill sports maps
Crunch time for Ronaldo and Corinthians
“More than eight years after combining to such good effect in South Korea and Japan, the 3 Rs of Brazil’s last World Cup win are now all back at home playing for major clubs. As discussed in this space last week, Ronaldinho has joined Flamengo. On Saturday, Rivaldo was snapped up by Sao Paulo. And, of course, there is Ronaldo at Corinthians.” BBC – Tim Vickery
Dancing with U.S. Soccer: A Gentleman’s History of Bogling and Boon-Boo-Ree featuring Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury & Pablo Ramirez
“And so it began with A Gentleman’s History of the Stanky Legg. An opportunity to use goal celebration dances to learn about ourselves and share some of what we are with our friends around the world. I know, it’s just a game, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be just a game.” Nutmeg Radio
Why The January Transfer Window Is Utterly Pointless
“Before the introduction into European football of ‘registration periods,’ more commonly known as ‘transfer windows,’ you may remember that players could pretty much come and go as they please, right up until the closing weeks of the season. However, times have changed and now, in England specifically, the summer window runs from the last day of the season right up until the 1st September. That’s all well and good; a long summer break to tamper with your squad and attempt, admittedly sometimes in vain, to improve upon the previous season. However, now is January. January in England and across Europe has it’s own mid-season transfer window. The question is why?” EPL Take
For he’s a Jolly good fellow
“Over Christmas we finally managed to get a game in after the weather decimated the fixture programme. The one game we managed to get to was the local derby between Carshalton Athletic and Sutton United. This wasn’t just a game of local pride, nor was it the chance for the home team to get one over on the league leaders, but it was also the first return to Colston Avenue for a previous legend for the Robins – striker Richard Jolly.” The Ball Is Round
Scissors Kick 