Trying to avoid the madness of Diouf

As the bustle of transfer deadline day passed in a wave of sporadic, underwhelming business, one piece of news seemed to go unnoticed, sneaking through the backdoor whilst everybody’s interest was hooked to the main transfer attractions. That news was not a signing, but the information that Blackburn had come to an agreement on the mutual termination of El Hadji Diouf’s contract, Steve Kean had lost patience and the striker was free to find another club.

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Meireles - The Raul deal

Deadline Day is always a crazy one. Transfers come out of nowhere and some go through with just seconds to spare. Wednesday was no different.

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Wigan v QPR

Queens Park Rangers travel to Wigan Athletic looking for their second win of the season after earning their first Premier League victory since February 1996 at Everton last weekend. Times have changed dramatically for the West London club during the past few weeks with Formula one Tycoon Tony Fernandes taking over a large majority of shares at the club,  at approximately 66%, with Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore no longer involved with the club.

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Transfer window winners and losers

Slam; that’s the sound of the transfer window shutting for another six months leaving Jim White, Dharmesh Sheth, Andy Burton, David Craig and all the rest in need of a good lie down. Perhaps later they’re decide to drop their “sources” who gave out as much misleading information as a broken compass.

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Owen Hargreaves: We Can Rebuild Him, We Have The Technology

In what would be one of perhaps the most surprising moves of this transfer window, given its late emergence and relative value, Owen Hargreaves has been linked with a switch to the blue half of Manchester.

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Wenger Finally Breaks Into the Piggy Bank

Blimey. It seems after my blog last week asking Arsene Wenger to splash the cash or send some down to the Essex coast to my little club Southend United, he has taken my advice and gone into spending overdrive. Of course being hammered 8-2 by Manchester United on Sunday may also have something to do with it (I don't want to take all the credit).

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The Mystery of Transfer Deadline Day

31^st of August and 31^st January are two days each year which could easily gain national holiday status. Across the country men and women of all ages are gripped from the minute they wake up till the minute they go to sleep by the transfer deadline day saga. All PCs, televisions and phones are tuned into Sky Sports News showing live updates with a dramatic aura.

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Get rid of conferences MLS!

For the last two years, Major League Soccer hasn’t had an eastern conference team win the Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, last year it was the Colorado Rapids versus the San Jose Earthquakes in the eastern finals! What? C’mon! Aren’t those teams from the western conference?

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The Deadline Day Bonanza

Much like the World Cup, Champions League and FA Cup finals, transfer deadline day is another date in the diary football fans put under the ‘not to be missed’ section.

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Why Arsenal’s humiliation at Old Trafford might be a good thing for the Gunners

Wow. What a week it’s been for Arsenal. I think it’s fair to say that business is starting to pick up at the Emirates.

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Messi to sign for Dagenham and Redbridge?!

I wonder if journalists make up transfer rumours or whether they do have any basis in reality. There does always seem to be stories in papers that make you think “surely not”. There are also ones that make you think, “Yeah that sounds possible”.

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Rovers to chicken out of the Premier League

What do you get when you take deluded owners and add an inexperienced manager, throw in absurd expectations, then mix in an aging squad with a despairing lack of summer signings, and what do you get? A recipe for relegation.

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Thin squad could draw Everton into relegation battle

After the extremely fortuitous win at Blackburn on Saturday, goalkeeper Tim Howard could not contain his relief in his side picking up their first win of the season after surviving two missed penalties and numerous chances created by the home side which included two denials by the woodwork. The win which the American described as “that bit of luck” was secured by a late Mikel Arteta penalty, awarded harshly by referee Mike Dean, and he went on to say something rather foreboding for what Everton fans can expect this season. "I remember two years ago we were winning games late all the time. It's important for us to keep that going. That's what the Premier League is about, keeping yourself in the game”.

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The Life Of The Not So Rich And Not So Famous

Cannes, one of the shining jewels on the French Riviera or the Cote D’Azur as it is known locally. The millionaire’s playground most famous for its annual world renowned film festival is a city which attracts celebrities and tourists in their hordes.

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Diary Of A Sky Sports Soccer Saturday Reporter

I love my stats - all reporters love their stats. And Huddersfield vs Wycombe was packed full of fascinating ones.

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