The Dragons rebuilding project

Wales, team of the future?

Let’s be honest, over the years, Wales have been a bit of a bore to watch when it comes to football.

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The Football Quiz Challenge

What type of quizzer are you? Do you sit drunk and clueless in the corner? Or are you halfway to Nerdsville with a tank top on and a smart-arse smile?

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Dear Australia…… Your rules are rubbish!

I’ve just watched my 13 year old cousin play football for his local team the Tarmoor Tigers in Australia. I’m still astounded and shocked at what I’ve just witnessed and realise why the football here will never be there national sport! It was the quarter finals of the local cup so there was a big turnout. I’ve only recently come to Australia so was quite excited to watch him play and see what the quality was like.

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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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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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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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Return of the Kings?

Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start to the season by earning a deserved victory over Bolton, 3-1 at Anfield which sent them to the top of the Premier League for the first time in two years.

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North London in mourning

First was the absolute slaughter of Arsenal. To say I was shocked was an understatement and I’m no Gooner. The 8-2 thrashing of Arsenal was very telling. The 2-5 drubbing if Tottenham even more so. A quick glance of the Premier league table shows Manchester Utd occupying first spot, Manchester City in second and Liverpool and Chelsea occupying third and fourth respectively. The top two have a combined goal difference of 19.

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City, the real deal?

“Manchester City have a multi million pound squad, but can they challenge for top honours?” a question that everyone in football has grown accustomed to since the City Sheikh up in recent years.

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Quick: which are the top three leagues in Europe?

I think we can take it as read that you'll have said the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga, and if you keep up with Uefa coefficients, there's a very good chance you've said the German Bundesliga as well.

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Thursday Round Up @ Nasri delighted with Arsenal result, Levy calls for Modric saga to end, Nani admits Utd is buzzing

The 20-year-old had a successful season for his hometown side Atletico Madrid but had only just cemented his place in their side. That is why it came as a surprise that Sir Alex Ferguson and his goalkeeping coach – Eric Steele – chose De Gea to replace the retired Edwin Van der Sar.

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Double signing could complete the AVB jigsaw

As Chelsea look set to complete the signing of Valencia playmaker, Juan Mata and continue in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Modric, The Blues’ long-awaited summer rebuild finally looks underway. With further investment in youth seeing Oriol Romeu join from Barcelona and Anderlecht’s Romelu Lukaku making his long-awaited move to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas will be looking to usher in a new era at the club.

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Diary Of A Sky Sports Soccer Saturday Reporter

Over the years I've learned not to turn Sky Sports down whenever they offer me work. But there are rare occasions when I've just had to say 'Sorry, No, I can't do it'.

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This week on To the Lane and Back

It has been a hectic week this week for To the Lane and Back. First competitive game of the season (at last) ITK’s galore and the first of our new feature ‘The view from the oppo.

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