“All the goals came in the second half as Dortmund took another step towards the Bundesliga title. Jupp Heynckes made multiple changes to his side in the first game back after the winter break. Eren Derdiyok, Tranquilo Barnetta and Arturo Vidal were all left out, whilst Sidney Sam and Gonzalo Castro both switched from the right flank to the left. Patrick Helmes played just off Stefan Kiessling.” Zonal Marking
“Prestatyn Town 1-1 Port Talbot Town – Welsh Premier League – 15th January 2011. Often associated with the seaside, Prestatyn Town welcomed the worst elements of the beach to Bastion Road for this Principality Welsh Premier League match against Port Talbot Town. A strong wind and sand covered playing surface did little to inspire any football purist in attendance and their concerns were proved correct as both sides struggled against the conditions in this scrappy yet surprisingly entertaining match.” The Ball Is Round
“Arsenal registered a thoroughly comfortable victory over West Ham amid rumours it was Avram Grant’s last game in charge. Arsenal returned to the front six that many consider their strongest, with Andrei Arshavin on the bench. Emmanuel Eboue continued to deputise for Bacary Sagna, whilst the centre-back pairing remained the same as in the midweek defeat to Ipswich.” Zonal Marking
“The 1930s was a decade which played host to several of the European game’s most historically significant stars, but on British shores few were held in higher regard than Everton’s William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean. One of the most prolific forwards to have ever graced the game, Dean was in many ways the player who defined the decade in English football.” The Equaliser
Grand Bleu
“It’s proving increasingly difficult not to like Villarreal. The team is in a distant third place behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and therefore receives relatively little media coverage outside of Spain. But in a league that has been simply too predictable this season, Juan Carlos Garrido’s side continues to excite with its beautiful, attack-minded football.” ESPN
“As the build up to the 2010/11 Serie A season began it was very much a case of one self-obsessed, megalomaniac in, and one self-obsessed megalomaniac out. The landscape of Italian football was shaping up for a much quieter year following the departure of treble-winning Internazionale boss Jose Mourihno to Real Madrid, before the red-and-black half of Milan did the decent thing and convinced the brooding genius of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to come and tip Serie A’s normalcy quota firmly back towards the bonkers.” Just Football
“I’ve always attempted to see the bigger picture with Liverpool FC, and never liked short-term thinking. However, before we could focus on Fenway Sports Group’s long-term vision, we had a massive obstacle obscuring our view. If we were setting off on a long journey with our new American owners – accepting that it would take time to get where we wanted to go – then we were still entitled to scream Stop! when the driver they inherited was in danger of taking us off the road and over a cliff. (If that’s a little too dramatic, then perhaps it was simply a case of heading in the wrong direction, or down a cul-de-sac.)” Tomkins Times
Liverpool Match Review
“Blackpool beat a sluggish, negative and stagnant Liverpool at Anfield back in October and with the return of Kenny Dalglish to the Liverpool hot seat, this match could’ve got away from Blackpool as Fernando Torres scored an early opener. It was a credit to Blackpool as they never panicked or broke from their game plan to get back in to the match.” Tangerine Dreaming
The challenges Kenny Dalglish must overcome at Liverpool FC
“KENNY DALGLISH was keen to point out at his unveiling as Liverpool manager that the romance of his reappointment was no foundation for improving the club’s results. The unfortunate circumstances surrounding Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United had meant the result could be attributed to hard luck. However, Wednesday evening’s 2-1 loss at Blackpool illuminated the scale of the task ahead for the new reds boss.” Daily Post
“Rangers, Celtic, Rangers, Celtic. Is it time for serious structural reform in Scottish football? William Heaney takes us through the options.” Just Football
“The January transfer window has been a bit of a damp squib to date, with the exception of Manchester City’s big money purchase of prolific Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, but rumours of possible signings abound. Perhaps surprisingly, one club that has featured prominently in the feverish press speculation is Birmingham City, who have been linked with a series of attacking players in an attempt to resolve their goal scoring problems, including Kenny Miller and Robbie Keane, and have signed David Bentley on loan.” The Swiss Ramble
“This week’s episode of Friday Flashback Videos takes a trip back to 1969 to a match played between West Ham United and Manchester City on a slippery pitch at Upton Park. The match features some legendary English footballers such as Manchester City’s Francis Lee, Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell against West Ham United featuring Geoff Hurst, Harry Redknapp, Frank Lampard Sr., Trevor Brooking, Bobby Moore and others. As you’ll see from the above video, it was a highly entertaining match with some wonderful goals.” EPL Talk
“Of all the figures I’ve encountered in soccer over the years, Terry Byrne is right near the top of my most intriguing people list. A 44-year-old Englishman, Byrne has gone on a remarkable life journey from London taxi driver to massage therapist for Chelsea and England to David Beckham’s best friend and personal manager to a sports business career of his own.” SI
“On the surface, The Two Escobars is a mesmerizing documentary about the tragic intersection of soccer and the drug trade in Colombia during the 1980s and 1990s. But just below the surface, the film reveals a deeper, personal story about a Colombian society simultaneously enriched and shaken to its core. It re-introduces us to legendary soccer icons, reducing them to emotional figures bearing the unique burden of simply being Colombian and incredibly talented during the rise of narco-soccer (loosely defined as the period when soccer was inextricably tied to and funded by narco-trafficking).” Nutmeg Radio – 1, Nutmeg Radio – 2
“The manager and the year may have changed but Liverpool’s problems away from home continued as Kenny Dalglish’s first Premier League match since returning as boss ended in a 2-1 defeat at Blackpool. Liverpool’s troubles on the road contributed to the departure of Roy Hodgson last weekend but the Seasiders showed October’s win by the same score at Anfield was no fluke.” ESPN
Blackpool 2-1 Liverpool – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
World Cup in 2022
“Qatar’s winning bid to hold the 2022 World Cup was marked by a spending spree that included investments in the home countries of several executives who were responsible for choosing the host nation, according to internal documents from the emirate’s bidding committee. The spending sheds light on how FIFA regulations—outlined in the two-page rules of conduct for World Cup host-nation bidding—left the door open for hopefuls to open wallets to exert indirect influence on international soccer’s small circle of decision-makers.” WSJ
“In Rio Flamengo fans came out in their thousands to give a euphoric welcome to new signing Ronaldinho. Some pundits have tried to pour water into their beer — such as former top class referee Jose Roberto Wright, who argued in the sports daily Lance! that Flamengo had done a bad deal.” SI – Tim Vickery
“Or rather, ‘Argentines in Spain and Portugal,’ with a few quick additions, since there wasn’t a lot to write home about elsewhere aside from Carlos Tevez’s goal in the FA Cup. Ben Shave and David Cartlidge, though, are here to keep us up to date with the weekend’s happenings. In the wake of his FIFA World Player Of The Year coronation, I’m also adding a video of Lionel Messi’s hat trick in the Copa Del Rey on Wednesday night. Enjoy.” Hasta El Gol Siempre
“Sometimes the slow death of a movement means that it is difficult to define when something is definitely gone, and some kind of crystallising moment is necessary, writes guest author Jamie Cutteridge. For example, the freshness of New Labour seemed to disappear somewhere around the beginning of this century, but the death of the movement was confirmed when Ed Miliband of the old left was elected leader last year.” twofootedtackle
Kenny Dalglish
“A step back or a step forward for the mighty reds? Kenny Dalglish is back at Liverpool and wears the Anfield suit far more easily than the ill-fitting Roy Hodgson. Liverpool is the pool of life. Welcome to IBWM Matt Savage.” In Bed With Maradona
Roy vs Rafa: Endgame.
“Following on from his comparisons between last season and this, Andrew Beasley looks at the final 20 league games of Rafa Benítez and Roy Hodgson. A lot was made of the fact that Liverpool weren’t very good in 2010 before the change took place, so this piece examines that belief.” Tomkins Times
Steve Clarke: A step in the right direction for Liverpool
“Liverpool’s recent woes have been all too well documented in the national press, the club’s nigh on disastrous form under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson this season having seen any realistic chance of silverware long since evaporate. However, with little to lose and a reputation to regain, recent developments at the club in terms of its managerial structure would appear – at least from the external perspective of a neutral – to be of a largely positive nature.” The Equaliser
“Edinson Cavani enjoyed the best night of his career as Napoli demolished Juventus. Walter Mazzarri played his most common line-up this season – 3-4-2-1, with Gianluca Grava ahead of Salvatore Aronica the only talking point. Gigi Delneri stuck to his favourite 4-4-2 shape, with Luca Toni making his debut alongside Amauri. There were six changes in all, with Milos Krasic coming back into the side on the right.” Zonal Marking
“The winter break in the Dutch football season is still in full effect. The downside of this is that for at least another week there are none of the usual match reports to bring here. But the advantage may be that such a period offers an opportunity to sit back and contemplate on the process of analyzing football matches.” 11 tegen 11
Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem – View of an Italian Port
“Pep’s Dream Boys – as officially endorsed by FIFA on Monday night, according to the local press – beat Deportivo using the most basic trick in the tactical book against the Galician outfit: staying awake for the whole ninety minutes when facing their terrifically tedious opponents.” FourFourTwo
Real Madrid 4-2 Villarreal: Real battered in first half, but press higher to dominate the second
“Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals and assisted another for Kaka, as Real came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down. Jose Mourinho used his usual 4-2-3-1 system. Sami Khedira was dropped with Lassana Diarra playing instead, whilst Kaka was again on the bench. Juan Carlos Garrido played Villarreal’s usual 4-4-2 / 4-2-2-2. Nilmar is still unavailable, so Marco Ruben started upfront. Marcos Senna and Carlos Marchena were also out – Jose Catala played at the back. Villarreal were excellent in the first half – by far the better side, and Jose Mourinho admitted after the match that the away side deserved to be leading at half-time.” Zonal Marking
“If the past is another country, then Liverpool Football Club appear keen to emigrate. At a stroke, they have been taken back to 1990 and their last league title, to 1988 and one of the finest footballing sides this country has even seen and to 1986, when a grinning player-manager scored the goal that won Division 1 to set up a historic double.” ESPN
FA Cup Third Round Weekend 3: Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
“If there is one thing that the last few weeks of Roy Hodgson’s time in charge of Liverpool Football Club became notable for, it was the mass of contradiction that enveloped it. Hodgson was the wrong man for the job at the wrong time, but the hysteria that seemed to engulf the club as the team failed to find any consistency (they neither lost nor won more than two successive matches under his stewardship) ensured that rational discussion was, broadly speaking, the first casualty of the debate that ensued. By the time of Hodgson’s inevitable sacking (and let’s not start chasing down the the alley of that most misleading of football clichés, ‘by mutual consent’, here), it was reaching the level of something approaching collective psychosis amongst Liverpool supporters.” twohundredpercent
Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool – English FA Cup
The 90th Minute
“The season kicks off on my side of the Atlantic this weekend with one of the great hidden gems of the footballing calendar – the South American under-20 Championship.” BBC – Tim Vickery
“Sampdoria battled back from 1-0 down to claim the three points. Domenico di Carlo played a 4-4-2 system, but was forced to leave flu-ridden Giampaolo Pazzini on the bench, with Nicola Pozzi coming in. Daniele Mannini and Fernando Tissone were left out with Vladimir Koman and Andrea Poli starting instead.” Zonal Marking
“Internacional de Porto Alegre may have been party to a piece of unwanted history in December, when they became the first team from one of the ‘traditional’ powers of South America and Europe to fail to reach the final of the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, but their fans were given something to celebrate, albeit as a small consolation prize, later in the month. On December 29, Inter’s Argentine playmaker, Andres D’Alessandro – formerly of Wolfsburg, Portsmouth and Real Zaragoza – was named the South American Footballer of the Year for 2010.” ESPN
“Nearly two years ago, the Daily Mail’s Matt Lawton published a piece under what should surely be considered one of the most dunderheaded headlines in recent football journalism: ‘The best players of the world (and Xavi): Ronaldo crowned king of football.’ In the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ascension as the world player of the year in 2009, Lawton took the time to cheekily ridicule Xavi Hernández, a player whose patience, measure, and impeccable sense of the tempo in attack and defense has helped to make Barcelona the best club side in Europe (arguably) and Spain the best national side in the world (most certainly).” Run of Play
“So, Roy Hodgson has left Liverpool by mutual consent, and has been replaced by Kenny Dalglish for the remainder of the season. Hodgson leaves with a dignified statement, but his time at the club was disastrous (although the man who replaces him knows the true meaning of ‘disaster’).” Tomkins Times
“Here’s a thing about Roy Hodgson. An intelligent man, one of the few football types who knows which way up to hold a book, Hodgson’s favourite novelist is JP Donleavy. A grand choice, is that; the Irish-American is one of the 20th century’s greatest writers. But Roy’s pick from the Donleavy canon – defined by the bona fide 1955 classic The Ginger Man – is a throwaway 1979 effort called Schultz, a novel the author himself would struggle to recall. This is like saying your favourite Shakespeare play is Timon of Athens, or that your favourite Beatles song is PS I Love You. Or that the most dependable left-back in the world is Paul Konchesky.” Guardian
“An elegant Danubian centre-forward know to his contemporaries as ‘The Mozart of Football’, Matthias Sindelar was arguably the finest European player the 1930s produced. Born in Kozlov in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to a family of Moravian descent, Sindelar’s career began in Vienna in 1916 and continued upon a steep upward trajectory until his tragically premature death 1939.” The Equaliser
“Manchester United’s Tuesday night victory over Stoke City epitomized its season so far. The Red Devils managed just two shots on target, yet recorded a 2-1 victory. This season has rarely seen them hit top form, but they’ve still managed to consistently pick up results in the classic winning-without-playing-well formula — the mark of potential champions. Incredibly, they also remain the only unbeaten team after half of the season, with 12 wins and eight draws.” ESPN
“A penalty for either side – Arsenal’s coming in the final minute – meant these two sides will have to settle the tie at Elland Road next week. Arsene Wenger made sweeping changes to his side, keeping only Alex Song and Johan Djourou from the XI that failed to beat Manchester City. Nicklas Bendtner was used on the right, with Marouane Chamakh upfront.” Zonal Marking
Arsenal 1-1 Leeds United – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – FA Cup
The 90th Minute
“These are the top 10 storylines to keep an eye on in 2011 as Serie A resumes play…” SI
Leonardo
“New Inter boss Leonardo made a successful start as his side recorded a 3-1 victory over Napoli. Thiago Motta was the hero for the home side with the first and the last goal in a pulsating game. He put Inter ahead after three minutes, but Michele Pazienza deservedly levelled for an impressive Napoli in the 25th minute.” ESPN
Back to the future
“A good win. Inter defeated Napoli 3-1 to celebrate in the most appropriate way Leonardo’s first game in charge and the 2010 five trophies parade which preceded the kickoff. The Scudetto plate, the ‘Coppa Italia’ and the Champions League trophies [won under Mourinho] placed next to the Italian Supercup and the Fifa Club World Cup [won under Benitez].” ESPN
At the turn of the year, a shape-shifter in the Serie A
“Leonardo’s wacky and confident style of playing has clearly elicited warm and welcoming feelings from Inter’s locker room, despite his past as both a AC Milan star and coach, as the nerazzurri moved to beat the widely accredited team of Napoli with a score of 3-1. The top of the chart is still a telescope-distance away, and many stumbling blocks no doubt await the Milanese squad in the backwaters where they currently stand; but, with two more matches to play, the return to form of Inter will accelerate the process of restructuring for the whole season.” The 90th Minute
“The transition from a player to a coach is not always easy and can take time, some will make it and some will not, they say a successful player doesn’t always make a great coach, but there is an exception to the rule and a prime example being Johan Cruijff.” La Croqueta
“Along with Robert Prosinečki, Siniŝa Mihajlović and Dejan Savićević, Dragan Stojković was an integral member of that immensely gifted generation of Yugoslavian footballers which graced the European game during the late eighties and early nineties. A key part of the dominant Red Star Belgrade side of the same period, Stojković is now carving out a successful coaching career on the other side of the world.” The Equaliser
“Scottish football needs to change & IBWM’s latest debutant feels the recent Old Firm derby was symptomatic of exactly that. Welcome Graeme Crawford” In Bed With Maradona
“As I wrote before for Russian-speaking supporters, I had been very sceptical to Roy Hodgson since I heard he would be appointed as a manager of Liverpool FC for the first time. It seemed really obvious for me he wasn’t good enough to be a manager for the club like ours, and his experience meant nothing because he was a flop with two big names he tried to manage.” AnfieldRoad
Henry silence only adds to Hodgson’s agony and state of crisis at Anfield
“The graffiti scrawled on a Melwood wall yesterday stated ‘Hodgson Out’ but the Liverpool manager was in at an early hour and still at his desk late into the afternoon, even though it was a designated day off for most of the players whose capitulation at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night left his job in such jeopardy.” Independent
“Arsenal had all the best moments but failed to get the breakthrough. Arsene Wenger played the same side as in the recent 3-0 victory over Chelsea, which meant no place for Marouane Chamakh or Andrei Arshavin. Roberto Mancini made five changes, including three of his back four. He also left out Adam Johnson, instead playing Jo on the left. Arsenal started the match at a very high tempo when in possession, and should have gone ahead in the first couple of minutes when Jack Wilshere’s cross-shot wasn’t reached by Robin van Persie.” Zonal Marking
Once a Gunner, always a Hammer?
“If Trevor Brooking wouldn’t have fallen over in the penalty area at 3.13pm on Saturday 10th May 1980 life would have been so different for me. The moment a child chooses their football team to follow is a monumental decision, the first right of passage into adulthood. After being taken to Charlton Athletic, West Ham United, Leyton Orient and Arsenal I had to choose which route I would take. Coming from a family of Charlton Athletic and West Ham United fans I obviously chose Arsenal.” The Ball Is Round
Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
“Barcelona progressed to the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey on away goals with a 1-1 draw in Bilbao. In a pulsating cup tie played in front of a packed San Mamés, Athletic Bilbao left it too late but go out of the competition with great credit having held Barcelona to two draws.” Spanishfootball
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 FC Barcelona – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Copa del Rey (King’s Cup)
The 90th Minute
“In any season, some ‘winnable’ games will not be won. You can’t win ‘em all. Sometimes, shit happens. C’est la vie, as Robbie Nevil put it. But having dropped points at home to Blackpool and Sunderland, and away at Everton, Wigan and Stoke, the fixtures against Newcastle, Wolves, Bolton and Blackburn were supposed to be where the balance was redressed. “We’ve played the hard teams” was the (semi-valid) excuse at the start of the season, even though performances were often well below acceptable standard, with timid tactics and aimless hoofing.” Tomkins Times
Blackburn Rovers 3 – 1 Liverpool
“Roy Hodgson has survived many low points in his short spell as Liverpool manager but a 3-1 defeat at Blackburn would seem to be one disaster too far and could hasten his exit from Anfield. Even before Saturday’s injury-time winner against Bolton the suggestion was club owners New England Sports Ventures were actively looking for a replacement.” ESPN
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Liverpool – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
“Below are Match Of The Day (MOTD) video highlights for all the EPL matches on January 4, 2011 & January 5, 2011. The full edition of MOTD can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Everyone knows the impact that Johan Cruyff had footballing philosophy of Barcelona. But what if there had been another totemic figure present at the Camp Nou? What if El Tel had decided to depart a season early? Alex Dimond, ladies and gentlemen.” In Bed With Maradona
“The brand new Unofficial Football World Champions book, released this month, is now in stock at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. It’s starting to pick up some really great reviews. And if you’ve already bought the book, today you can access some exclusive bonus content.” UFWC
“You would own a collection of bruised fingers if you clapped every quality article that appeared on the pages of the delightfully named football blog In Bed With Maradona. Not many days go by with some form of mutual backslapping and high fiving between European Football Weekends (EFW) and In bed with Maradona (IBWM). This is a mutual appreciation society (MAS) that borders on the lunacy (BOTL).” European Football Weekends
“Once Napoleon had roused himself and his remaining army from the ashes of Moscow, only to be pummeled at Maloyaroslavets and then smashed again at Berezina, one wonders whether he took a moment to survey the wreckage and think about what a kick he was getting from it all.” Run of Play
“A short time ago I announced my ambition to start a new feature on the blog, a ‘Decade by Decade’ project which I hope will combine my own writing with contributions from readers in order to create an archive of material relating to each decade in football from the 1930s onwards.” Equaliser Football – It’s 1930s Month on The Equaliser, 1930s Month: Chapman and Arsenal’s ‘Golden Age’, 1930s Month: When Italy weren’t the Azzurri
“One of the supposed benefits of Roy Hodgson’s arrival was his ability to get closer to players and re-invigorate their on the pitch performances. Despite what he has eluded to, or (some of) Fleet Street will spout, we do have a squad of players and certainly a first XI which should be competing for fourth place – as a minimum.” Invincible Bastion
Henry Winter: Kenny Dalglish would want Liverpool manager’s job long-term if successful at Anfield
“The manager, Roy Hodgson, is struggling, retaining the faith of the dressing room but patently not the majority of the Kop nor the owners. The former manager, Kenny Dalglish, would readily accept caretaker duties should Hodgson be sacked, giving the board six months to locate a long-term successor. Liverpool’s most famous name would want to be considered permanently if he revitalised the team. It’s complicated in L4. With the fans so full-throated, Anfield risks becoming Animal Farm.” Telegraph – Henry Winter
Ralf Rangnick: Hoffenheim’s loss could be Liverpool’s gain
“The rumour mill has been fully operational lately as the transfer window opens and management changes become a seemingly hourly occurrence. Terry Duffelen has been interested by one in particular as a coach from the Bundesliga has been increasingly linked with a move to England to manage in the Premier League.” two footed tackle
“This David Beckham character has the world in his palm. After successful stints at Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham decided to pursue a new challenge in America (the North one). As part of Beckham’s unique deal with MLS, he was given the option to purchase an MLS club if he stays with the LA Galaxy for the remainder of his contract. That’s a good deal for Team Beckham. And now, long-time Daily Mail football writer Martin Samuel wants to give Beckham English football.” Nutmeg Radio
“Despite winning their last three matches before Germany’s winter break, including a notable success against reigning champions Bayern Munich, this season has been a mixed bag for Schalke 04. They have struggled in the Bundesliga, making a desperately poor start when they lost their first four games, including a crushing home defeat in the derby against bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund, but have cruised through their Champions League group, finishing ahead of Lyon and Benfica to secure a very winnable last 16 tie against an inconsistent Valencia.” The Swiss Ramble
“In previous editions of ‘Long Player,’ we have soundtracked games in the NBA and the NFL, in an attempt to tap into their essence. In doing the same for soccer, one cannot currently look beyond FC Barcelona, whom many are earnestly bracketing with the greatest teams of all time. So dominant are they at present that one can even talk of there being such a thing as a generic Barcelona game. So who better to turn to than — —, player with [Generic Barcelona Opponents], who has kindly agreed to provide us with this playlist, reflecting his experience against the fearsome Blaugrana machine.” Norman Einsteins
“The first week of 2011 isn’t a over yet and quite a lot happened already. A short update. First, and most important: Frank de Boer has signed a long term deal with Ajax. His contract runs until the summer of 2014. It’s no surprise for anyone De Boer is now officially the manager of Ajax. It was only a matter of time. General manager Rik van den Boog has admit Frank de Boer had the best profile to replace Martin Jol even though he said there was a very short shortlist.” World of Ajax
“The year ended with a reminder of what used to be in eastern Europe, as Robert Prosinecki was appointed manager of Red Star Belgrade. It is 20 years since he was a key figure in the last eastern European side to win the European Cup; this season only one, Shakhtar Donetsk, has reached the last 16 of the Champions League. Following CSKA Moscow’s progress to the knockout stage last year, that perhaps hints at the beginnings of a renewal, but two sides making it through the group stage in seven years is still a world away from the era when crack eastern European outfits were the bane of British clubs.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
“Britannia, AD 600. Ferguson is king of Britannia, lord of all he surveys. A firebrand Celt, his armies have marched as far south as Barcino in Hispania and towards the rising sun as far as the banks of the Volga. Old in body and yet nimble of mind, Ferguson seeks the affirmation of his kin, weighing the devotion of his sons in a ceremony at Trafford Castle. Shall a successor be determined?” Run of Play
“The word Thamesmead normally drives fear into the heart of South East Londoners. The town was seen as innovative when it was constructed in the late Sixties on the old Royal Arsenal site by the GLC. Flooding had been an issue in the area so the initial developments were built so that the flats were on the first floor and linked by a series of walkways and bridges. Sounds idyllic right? Well not quite. Mismanagement of the whole project that initially was planned for 100,000 was rife from the start. Promised transport links never materialised (even today with 50,000 residents there is not train station), instead replaces by a dual carriageway that dissects the development, a sewage works and of course Belmarsh high security prison.” The Ball Is Round
“Below are Match Of The Day (MOTD) video highlights for all the EPL matches on January 1, 2011. The full edition of MOTD (which features all matches together) can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Rightly or wrongly, Roy Hodgson’s time at Liverpool seems to be coming to an end. There are those who will argue that he should be given time, and it is of course true that various managerial greats — Herbert Chapman, Don Revie, Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson — struggled in their first seasons at clubs with whom they later achieved significant success. But it is also true that Hodgson, much like Sam Allardyce in his brief stint at Newcastle United, seems to have lost the confidence of just about everybody, with even those fans who urge patience unsettled by the functionality of much of Liverpool’s football, even against mediocre opposition.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“LeBron James was going to sign with the Clippers. I was sure of it. Living in a city that prided itself on its basketball knowledge, I could not have been happier to defend my foolhardy (and completely non-researched) claim. I filled the microbreweries with my pomp and unbridled opinion, joyfully educating any local who dared to question my theory. Well-versed in the art of bullshit, I welcomed all challengers to my claim, eventually even digging up some token statistics that seemed to weigh in my favor.” Run of Play
“Georgios Samaras scored his first two goals of the season to hand Celtic an important victory. Walter Smith replaced Steven Naismith with Jamie Ness, who came into the centre of midfield, pushing Steve Davis to the right, and Steven Whittaker switched to the left. Elsewhere, it was unchanged from Rangers’ previous game, in the 4-4-1-1 shape Smith has favoured in recent weeks.” Zonal Marking
“One of the many wonderful things about covering South American football is the opportunity to watch young talent bloom. Yet too often that process is interrupted prematurely, the player sold off to Europe at a dangerously early stage in his career. That is what has happened to Marcos Rojo, who made such an impact in the second half of 2010 as Estudiantes won the Argentine championship. Could this be the attacking left-back that his country have been looking for?” BBC – Tim Vickery
“Is the buck-toothed Brazilian really heading to Blackburn? Plus: a Premier League and Championship review; Roy Hodgson lives to fight another day; and solidarity for the Deepdale Duck” Guardian – James Richardson
Scissors Kick 