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 [...]

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 [...]

So it’s my final day for in Fort McMurray before beginning the pilgrimage to Islington, with stops in Edmonton (to see family) and B.C. (to see friends) along the way. I confess I’ve haven’t completely worked out logistics of blogging in Old Blighty just yet but I will endeavour to have a full report up at some point, likely when I’m in the departures [...]

It’s been about one month since the transfer window closed and Zenit St. Petersburg’s notoriously open-minded and tolerant supporters alleged planted a fake bomb with Hulk’s picture on it near the club’s training ground. Which is certainly one way to welcome one of your record signings to your club. I hate to say I told [...]

@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. [...]

European dreaming
Chelsea
Ins: Marko Marin (Werder Bremen, 7m) Eden Hazard (Lille, 35.2m) Thorgan Hazard (Lens, 880k) Oscar (Internacional, 28.1m)
Outs: Jose Bosingwa Salomon Kalou Didier Drogba (all released) Kevin de Bruyne (Werder Bremen, loan) Romelu Lukaku (West Brom, loan)
Why they’ll make Champions League
Roman Abramovich spent 70m pounds this summer – more than Manchester City, Manchester United and [...]

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, [...]

A bleary day in my part of the world so let’s look at news and rumours from around the world of football.
Let’s start in the noisier part of greater Salford, where Paul Wilson suggests the Middleastlanders spending sprees of the past are inhibiting their pursuit of Robin van Iscariot.
Nick Miller doesn’t understand why some supporters [...]

So 24 hours after RvP announces he wants to leave Holloway Road Properties because he disagrees with the club’s direction, minority shareholder and convicted racketeer – Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov — sent a letter to Stan Kroenke. But rather than use the post office, courier, e-mail or fax, he decided to use the medium of Associated Press [...]

The Fort McMurray Fury depart later this afternoon for our third round of games in the Edmonton elite league. Sadly, the bus doesn’t leave until after 4 p.m. local time, which means I must endure another round of park-the-bus stodginess from Woy’s boys. On the topic of the Three Lions, the quite brilliant Brian Phillips looks at [...]