Football journalism

Dan Talintyre's had a worldy there

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25488518

kompany in garth crooks' team of the week

Juventus have joined the queue of Serie A clubs ready to take Tottenham misfit Erik Lamela back to Italy.

The club record £30million summer signing has yet to score in the Premier League.

But the Argentina winger has a good reputation in Italy, where he made his name with Roma.

Rafa Benitez’s Napoli want to take him on loan, while Inter Milan could do a swap deal for striker Fredy Guarin.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tottenham-transfer-news-juventus-join-2957008

HIGHEST TROUSERS

Cardiff's popular alpha male Vincent Tan turned out for his first match since seeing off Malky Mackay in defiant garb: beltline higher than ever, with shades, replica top and leather gloves completing this season's must-have look.

>>>>>> the observer's football staff

Top 10 Epically Expensive Transfers of 2013
From: HuffingtonPost.com

FA Cup third round: 10 talking points from this weekend's action

7) Is Everton's eagerness to get rid of Jelavic wise?

It is clear why Everton want Nikica Jelavic off their wage bill after a patchy season and a-half in front of goal, but until Roberto Martínez finds a replacement, the Croatian's departure would leave Apostolos Vellios as the only back-up to Romelu Lukaku in attack at a key stage of the season. Graham Chase

• Match report: Everton 4-0 QPR

Despite Rafael’s development into a highly-rated attacking full-back, there remain concerns over his defensive capabilities, particularly when dealing with high balls into the far post.

Right-back is not a ‘must-do’ in January, but long-term targets would be Borussia Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek and England right-back Kyle Walker.

Also goes on to suggest they buy either Lescott or Vermaelen this month.

terrifyingly plausible tbh

Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Fabio Coentrao, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal are among the names in circulation at Manchester United.

They are the kind of reinforcements David Moyes will need if United are to challenge once again for the Barclays Premier League title.

Aside from their wage demands, here are the two questions they will be asking of United’s chief executive Ed Woodward:

When is Wayne Rooney signing a new contract?
And when is Robin van Persie going to play again injury-free?

As someone who used to be on first page google search results for both robin and rapey van injury, i personally would like to lol at some of the utd supporters, the ones who think 2 decent seasons meant he was cured.*

*oh wait, lj is on the first page for robin van injury

'aliardiere'

aliardiere was surprisingly good last season. Has regressed to mean this season tho.

well that league title van Persie won Utd is some consolation. Obviously that memory will have to serve us for a quite a while though

Of the many refinements Manuel Pellegrini has added to this team a level of composure that nearly topples off the scale is awesome to observe.

Que?

Eh had similar thoughts last night tbh, the patience/confidence to play/hold/keep the ball in and around the box is a rarity in epl terms and possibly historically so? Like if arsenal played on a pitch without goals, say, but with callous end product

I agree with the sentiment, was just a bit wtf at how it scanned.

From the same article, I found this quite interesting / ominous (I missed the pre-match build-up)

A distaste for holding midfielders was a topic of conversation in the Tottenham camp before the game. Tim Sherwood and Les Ferdinand had argued against the impact of such a strategic player. Sherwood's suggestion that a midfield shield is "overrated", and Ferdinand's opinion that Claude Makélélé began some kind of negative chain reaction in English football

A belief is a belief but as she points out, going into a game against this City team with this ^ kind of attitude just looks like straight incompetence.

Oh good grief penfold

Is Capoue any good as that? Was hard to tell last night, with the red card immediately after he came on. I ask because he's supposed to be for sale, Lucas is crocked, but we're only being linked with more forwards.

Yeah hes good

Sandro is great tho

And livermore was fine as backup

Dembele no, bentaleb no, like them but its never a good role for them nor for them to be in for the team

lol penfold reference way over my head old feller, if you're gonna zing then please stick to references from '90s or later just so I know what's what.

How long's Paulinho out for? Don't really know how Bentaleb has got a starting spot in this team given the other midfield options available.

It was the look in Joe Hart’s eyes as he ran down the tunnel at the end, the look of a dedicated professional who has total belief in his team-mates’ ability to sweep opponents aside. It was the look of a man who knew Manchester City have become an irresistible force and was going to do everything to keep that momentum rolling, rolling towards the title. City are on a mission, burning with a hunger to reclaim the Premier League trophy.

P sure henry Winter can turn out this guff in his sleep.

Its not zing its despair

But i mean things arent going ..... that badly

Tactics is a nonsense, bill?

Balls.ie names achill rovers site funniest irish sports writing

Balls.ie otm obv

too much time on .ie

Sherwood's suggestion that a midfield shield is "overrated"

He was shit at it for most of his career, so I can see why he thinks that.

Maybe in Timmy's mind he was actually Glenn Hoddle for his entire career but seriously, cretin.

JAMIE REDKNAPP

Who will win the midfield battle?

Chelsea and Manchester City have two of the best midfields in the Premier League, so expect fireworks. It’s a crucial area of the pitch and whoever dominates the middle could win the game.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (dear younger generation, those were massive black CDs we old folk used to scratch with needles), there was something strange but oddly typical about Liverpool being linked with wingers during the transfer window. It showed that, far from wanting to attempt any dilution of this riveting and entertaining style, Brendan Rodgers sought instead to embellish it.

from espn. EURGH HOW DO PEOPLE STILL GET PAID TO WRITE THIS GUNK?

Managing in Changing Times: A Guide for the Perplexed Manager (Response Books) :
Author(s): Sid Lowe

thought this looked like it could perhaps be interesting but.......

This topical book challenges the hegemony of neoclassical scientific management approach, exploring new potentials for the development of the understanding of management and organization in the post-scientific era of globalization.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/brazil/10964103/Dear-Neymar-an-open-letter-from-Henry-Winter-to-Brazils-biggest-star-of-its-bittersweet-World-Cup.html

Neil Ashton's latest column about Jack Wilshere is amazing.

"Howls of anguish roll across your mighty land ever since Tuesday. "

Has Chris Bascombe been mentioned here before? Just risible LFC lackey shit.

Daniel Harris

Sunday 19 October 2014 15.18 BST

That was remarkable, incredible, wonderful, outrageous, stupid, shocking and majestic. That was why we’re reduced to gibbering, quivering, servile amoeba by the unparalleled wonder of football. Wow.

Ronaldo vs Raheem: How does
England's rising star measure up with
the No 1 player on the planet?

Away from Suárez, Lionel Messi is on the verge of making La Liga history as he sits just one goal behind Telmo Zarra’s record of 251. The Bernabéu would be the perfect place for the 27-year-old to break the record and Iniesta would be delighted to see him do it, if only because a Messi double would mean things were going well in the game.

'We went to the Lowry, we had a screen so I could watch the second half and 17 players of 18 were there,' Van Gaal explained. 'I have never experienced that before. We have a lot of Spaniards!

'I won’t tell you which one wasn’t there.'

However, Sportsmail understands Danish goalkeeper Lindegaard was the player who chose not to join his team-mates.

Attendance was not considered compulsory but his absence was noted, particularly when all the other squad members chose to come down from their hotel rooms and watch Real Madrid run out 3-1 winners against arch rivals Barcelona.

United declined to comment when contacted by Sportsmail on Tuesday morning.

Actually, it's about ethics in football journalism

#lindegaate

First Fabio Borini crossed in front of the Kop for Mario Balotelli to score from six yards and then a free-kick struck deep to the far post in injury time was headed in by central defender Dejan Lovren.

Undoubtedly, Lambert would have fancied his chances with both. As he lies awake at night, that is what the 32-year-old must wish for. A cross right on to his instep, a mistake from a goalkeeper. Something he can’t miss. Something to get him going.

Deep in his footballer’s soul, though, Lambert will know that his troubles at Anfield are not down to misfortune.

It was great to have a long catch up chat with former Manchester City, West Ham and QPR winger Trevor Sinclair last week.

Sinclair is back in England after a stint in the Middle East as a TV pundit and while he is still doing some media work he is also working as a coach at non-League Lancaster City, managed by former QPR and Newcastle centre back Darren Peacock.

Given what he had to say on various football issues Sinclair could go a long way in coaching. He has some sound and non-nonsense views.

The former England winger certainly has no doubt that the FA should be strong and pick the best possible Under 21 side for next summer’s European Championship. I totally agree. The experience of tournament football will be of huge benefit to England’s young players, even those who have been regular members of the senior squad for some time.

The following day the draw was made for the finals in the Czech Republic next summer and England were put into a tough group of five-time winners Italy, Portugal and Sweden.

That seemed to make the argument even stronger. Those teams could all offer tougher tests than some of the countries like San Marino and even Slovenia the senior side have in their qualifying group for Euro 2016.

Certainly players like Jack Wilshere - who still qualifies - Raheem Sterling, Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, all of who have been on the senior scene for some time, should not see it as a step down. Instead they should see it as chance for glory and senior success down the line.

After the draw I texted Sinclair this team to see what he thought:

Butland; Clyne, Stones, Moore, Shaw; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshere, Barkle,y Sterling; Berahino, Kane.

I got a swift response from Sinclair: 'That wouldn’t make a bad first team. Let’s hope England go for it with the Under 21 finals next summer… with that side they have a chance of winning. Despite what people say there is young talent in this country. Let’s prove it.'

https://twitter.com/BestJournoTweet/status/531543979050151937

One view of this analysis is that for nearly £60m a footballer should know when to pass and when to dribble every time he receives possession. It could be posited that Di María’s fee was arguably bloated by around £20m.

A counter-argument, however, could run that the 26-year-old shone during his opening games for United, looking about the best of the club’s summer acquisitions so he is merely suffering a loss of form. Time, as usual, will tell.

Van Gaal seems to have broken something in Jamie Jackson

https://twitter.com/BestJournoTweet/status/532933567404580864

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Wayne-Rooney-does-not-rank-alongside-world-s-greatest-players-Lionel-Messi-Cristiano-Ronaldo-claims-Glenn-Hoddle.html

MARTIN SAMUEL: Liverpool's mistake was not thinking like a big club when Suarez left, they should've gone for Costa or Benzema

Paul Wilson
The Observer, Saturday 16 August 2014 22.30 BST

City’s keynote signing of the summer is not the most physically imposing of stoppers either. Centre halves have slimmed down quite a bit since Bill Shankly invited local journalists into the Liverpool dressing room to be shown round Ron Yeats, but even so Mangala is willowy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByFVxP2CAAEupAV.jpg

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