It’s always nice to have midweek games in the Premier League. It’s sort of like putting on a coat you’ve not worn for a while and reaching into the pocket and pulling out $20, an unexpected and pleasant break in the normal mundane routine during the week. And it also allows us to watch football [...]

As I regularly make fun of Fleet Street types for lazy stereotyping, it would seem hypocritical to question whether Arsene Wenger’s nationality makes him every agent’s favourite pigeon manager at the bargaining table. Because given some of the dribs and drabs coming out of  Theo Walcott’s contract capitulation negotiation, it’s easy to understand why Holloway Road Properties doesn’t have [...]

With pretty tepid fare on the midweek schedule — save for perhaps the lesser lights electric start against Brendan Rodgers’ tika-taka merchants — I thought I’ve give my readers some insights into the glamourous world of public relations and the beautiful people whose only agenda is the truth and serving the public’s interest. No, I [...]

It’s international week *long yawn* and it always makes me just a little sleep zzzzz.  Sorry dozed off there for a second. It’s actually sort of amusing watching Fleet Streeters trying to find some fresh angles to hype for Friday’s qualifier between the Three Lions and San Marino, which should be about as competitive as the average [...]

Today is a milestone as I’m officially closer to 50 than 40. And I think it’s fair to say that short of Arsene Wenger squaring up to Bombardier Allardyce and kicking him square in the swingers during the pre-match handshake at Upton Park on Saturday and saying “Blow on those bubbles, fat man”, I couldn’t [...]

@RICO
A little busy at work today so please post this afternoon after England’s match.
A quiet day for intelligent commentary as Fleet Street (sharpens its knives/clears its throat) to (gut Woy Hodgson like a freshly-caught flounder/trumpet the Three Lions to win the 2014 World Cup) based on tonight’s result against the 141st ranked team in FIFA’s thoroughly discredited rankings. [...]

This was supposed to be the summer that all agents dreaded, European’s equivalent of Black Friday (note to FA: that’s a not a “choc ice” reference). Where the recession’s bite would see the rise of Wengerism and the shrinkage of sweeteners. All the omens were there. Roberto Mancini undigified shrieking at Brian Marwood, the cost-cutting on both sides of Milan, FC Franco haggling with Daniel [...]

Squeaky bum bunch
MANCHESTER CITY
Ins: John Guidetti (Feyenoord, loan return) Roque Santa Cruz (Betis, loan return) Jack Rodwell (Everton, 13.2m)
Outs: Stuart Taylor, Owen Hargreaves, Ahmed Benali (all released) Wayne Bridge (Brighton, loan) Vladimir Weiss (Pescara, 1.3m)
Why they’ll win the league
The deepest and most talented squad in the league features England’s best defender (Vincent Kompany) and central [...]

The days of lazily picking through articles and posting them are officially done. One week before the Premier League season starts and I have not written a single solitary word of the previews. SHIT! My weekend is now planned for me. Thank God my wife and children are away. Some serious research and rumination await.
Anyhoo, [...]

With the financial uncertainty looming all over Europe, given the results of the recent elections in France and Greece, it’s probably not terribly surprising that filthy lucre continues to dominate the headlines. Although it’s sort of ironic that most of Fleet Street’s finest are channeling their inner Chicken Littles to cluck omniously about debt loads [...]