Prudent pessimism or crude realism?

After France’s first competitive win in Sarajevo in September 2010, Didier Roustan – a sports journalist among others – said that we will only know this side’s true value in Poland and Ukraine (provided we get there which wasn’t assured at the time).

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If don’t play for a Spanish club, you can’t start for the national side?

This international break for England hasn’t anything riding on it, but the side along, with some new faces will be given a huge test on Saturday at home to World and European champions Spain.

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The unforgettable William “Fatty” Foulke

Neville Southall, Razor Ruddock, Ronaldo... while these modern day superstars shared their hunger for trophies with a hunger for burgers, William "Fatty" Foulke was arguably the instigator of their infamous athletic/nutritional habits. This is his story.

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APOEL bring refreshment to the Group Stages

On Tuesday night in Nicosia, it looked as though Porto had managed to prevent the latest mark of the APOEL fairy-tale start to this year’s Champions League, a Hulk penalty in the 90^th minute the long awaited equaliser to Ailton’s first half spot-kick, yet in a fashion fitting in perfectly to the scarcely believable start to this year’s European competition in Group C, APOEL flew right back to the other end of the pitch and dramatically won the game, Gustavo Manduca on hand to turn in a drilled cross from captain Constantinos Charalambides.

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Friday evening round up @ Chelsea & Madrid in for starlet, United line up £40m midfielder, Brighton line up Newcastle ace

Manchester United have made Benfica midfielder Nicolas Gaitan a target for the January transfer window but will have to meet a £40m release clause to capture the Argentine international.

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The players being shown the exit door in the new year

Having looked at two potential incomings already, To the Lane and Back will now take the opportunity to focus on the players that face a potential January exit as part of the Tottenham shake-up.

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Flop or not: Julio Baptista

A question for Gooners all around the world – who was the last Arsenal player to score four in a match before Arshavin's famous quartet against Liverpool? RVP, Adebayor, Bendtner or perhaps even Fabregas would be the obvious first choice guesses. But, the answer in fact is Julio Baptista.

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Liverpool May Have To Walk Alone

Despite the long and illustrious history of the European Cup, there have only ever been five winners from capital cities (see if you can get all five – answers are at the bottom of the page). It is of no surprise that a number of European Cups have been won by some of the poorest areas, not least Liverpool.

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TV Self-Reliance Good for English Football?

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre this week opened the debate on foreign television contracts – arguing that Premier League teams should be allowed to negotiate their own deals. The proposal would replace the current structure – a £1.4bn contract which expires in 2013. Under the terms of this agreement, the revenue earnt goes directly to the Premier League, who then splits it evenly amongst the 20 clubs that make up England’s top division.

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Saturday morning gossip round up

Manchester City will demand a 20% sell-on clause if Carlos Tevez is sold for a cut-price fee in January.

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Power Playing

What football fans witnessed this week in the form of Carlos Tevez’s refusal to play was repugnant. What Alex Ferguson has witnessed in the form of TV’s ever growing influence over football was repugnant also, in his opinion. At the heart of both these much publicised incidents is the idea of power within football and who should have the right to exercise that power.

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Which manager to replace Redknapp next summer?

It is a well known fact that Harry Redknapp is the odds-on favourite to take over as England manager next summer. Current incumbent Fabio Capello will be stepping down following Euro 2012, should they make it to Ukraine and Poland.

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Spurs see immediate resurgence from Adebayor

It’s been a start of contrasting fortunes for Spurs, denied the opportunity to kick off their campaign along with the rest of the Premier League due to the riots in the capital, they were given a baptism of fire at Old Trafford either side of an elementary Europa League play-off with Hearts

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Michael Owen – A Tale Of What Could Have Been

Michael Owen fired us a reminder of his capabilities this week with an impressive brace of goals at Elland Road to see off an admittedly lacklustre Leeds. His record of 11 goals in 12 starts is typical of the man. What is probably airbrushed aside from these statistics is that most of those goals have come against less than solid defences – when Sir Alex Ferguson feels he can risk fielding a striker who can ressemble a passenger more often than not.

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Barcelona at a Crossroads

By all accounts, on Saturday Barcelona tore through Osasuna, spanking the Pamplona side 8-0. While this may have added flames to the fire that is the non-competitive nature of La Liga, it also added to the thought that this Barcelona side is one of the best that the world has ever seen. But while everything on the pitch seems as rosy as ever, off the pitch the club appears to be at a crossroads.

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