The future is bright, the future....is Spanish?

The European U21 championship is up and running and it offers us all a chance to see what is considered “The future of Football”.

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Not getting married in the summer of a World Cup Year

‘Well, we can’t marry in the summer on a World Cup year,’ said my girlfriend.

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McClaren's Chance of Redemption

With all fuss about Alex McLeish potentially heading across the second city divide to Aston Villa, another Midlands managerial appointment has somewhat snuck under the radar. It’s just 10 years ago that Steve McClaren was being vaunted as one of the top coaches in England, now he finds himself at a club who are still aiming for promotion to the Premier League 12 years after relegation.

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Buying British And The Cost Of Loyalty

British talent has always been bought and sold at a huge premium but if the ever-churning tabloid rumour mills are anywhere close to the mark then this summer’s transfer window has already seen Manchester United and Liverpool go head to head for such targets three targets at vast cost. Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson has plumped for Merseyside while both Phil Jones of Blackburn and Aston Villa’s Ashley Young appear destined for Old Trafford. Throw in the fee spent on Andy Carroll and the increased price for native youth is even more obvious

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Like Lionel but more messy

I never saw a team whose name
Was perfectly ironic,
Until our fixture against "Winning";
Such hubris so laconic!
Pummelled by the Beerca like
Japan by Earth's tectonics

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Life in footballing limbo

If I could have back the hours I have spent trawling through the free transfer market on various ‘Football/Championship Manager’ type games, I would have enough time to read the works of Tolstoy, build a shed AND post regularly on this website.

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Ins and Outs of a Championship Shakeabout

As the sun sets on another Championship season, the promotion parties have died down and attention turns to the transfer window. With some clubs looking to gain an immediate return to the Premier League and others fighting for their lives at the bottom, everyone must act fast to snap up the best deals in this year’s market.

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Emerging Talent: Accept no imitations.

Here we go again! Its summertime, clubs around the world draw up their list of transfer targets and the press silly season begins once again. However, as stories emerge of football’s elite looking to strengthen their squads to take themselves to new heights, many reports would have you believe they are merely looking to replicate the past. As Chelsea look close to securing the signature of Anderlecht striker, Romelo Lukaku, dubbed “The new Didier Drogba”, here are a few examples of past signings, that haven’t quite lived up to their previous comparisons.

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Will the next Fabio Cannavaro or Luis Figo be found in Denmark this month?

Not to discredit Denmark, the 12^th best country in Europe to play the sport of football, according to FIFA, however not many would expect to find the next hot prospect in Southern Scandinavia, furthermore in the month of June, when the Danish ‘Superliga’ season has finished. Although, any club with initiative and the transfer money to spend, would have their best scouts sent to Aarhus, Aalborg, Herning and Viborg, for 15 days, starting Saturday as the 1992 European Championship winners hold the Under-21 version of the tournament.

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Show me the money: Henderson's move good for both parties, but bad for football's transfer market.

As the news broke of Aston Villa’s interest in Darren Bent, supporters of Sunderland were aghast at the sudden thought of losing their most potent attacker.

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Bored Already

Following on from my piece ' Summertime and the Living Is...Well, Boring', about missing football during the summer, true to my word I am bored already. It's been just over a week since the final whistle blew at the Championship Play-Off Final (well done Swansea) and already I'm kicking around the house, looking for things to do, finding things to do, and then not doing them.

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International Friendlies – Yes, They Can Work!

The international friendly…managers despise them, fans frown upon them, the very mention of them is enough to turn the air blue.

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Big Four, Top Six, Also-Ran Eighty Six

So here it is, the day when any hope of a slightly competitive league structure in England takes a step beyond that of Spain into the realms of predictability. Sure enough the Spanish only have two teams who can feasibly challenge for the league ala Scotland, but at least they can put the blame due to their rather terrifying television money discrepancies. What’s our excuse?

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Brave Blackpool Preparing for New Battle

Rarely has a team relegated from the Premier League been praised unanimously from all corners.  Seldom has a manager been touted as a serious candidate for manager of the season despite seeing his side slip into the second tier of English football. However, bizarrely, this is a situation Blackpool and their manager Ian Holloway have just experienced.

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Borough Seeking Bouncebackability

With the non-league top flight now being predominately occupied by full-time teams, part-timers are always going to struggle to compete. Eastbourne Borough found that out this season.

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