Premier League Substitutes and their Status
August 11, 2008
The Community Shield in recent years has meant little more to clubs and managers than an excellent opportunity to throw fantasy football players off the selection scent by playing a bunch of squad players who are unlikely to play any meaningful part in the season to come.
This time around Sir Alex Ferguson even went as far as to admit that he would use the game to play the players lacking in match fitness, sending keen followers into aggressive debates about whether they weren’t up to fitness yet because they were not in his plans, or because he knew he wanted to showcase them in a cup final.
The thing is though, squad players are hopelessly deluded. Even with the introduction of seven substitutes into the English Premier League this season, there are not many understudies at major clubs who can have realistic hopes of making a first team place their own at any point. Read more
Beijing Olympic Games - Torch Lightning Moment
August 9, 2008
Beijing Olympic Games - Torch Lightning Moment
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have been opened yesterday. A grand ceremony was hosted in the Chinese capital. Events, of the over 4 hour long opening ceremony, hit the highpoint when the Olympic torch was officially ignited. The ritual was an original one, with the Chinese multiple Olympic Champion, Li Ning, running on the roof of the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Read more
Barcelona opened a Wall Street Day
August 6, 2008
Barcelona invited at the Wall Street
FC Barcelona are producing headlines even with their outside the pitch marketing activity. Juan Laporta’s latest accomplishment is a partnership with MalariaNoMore.org to help the people that suffer from Malaria. Arsenal’s Kolo Toure is one famous football player that suffered from this disease.
The collaboration produced an invitation for Barcelona’s main people at the Wall Street. Juan Laporta, Pep Guardiola and Carles Puyol where invited at the famous New York stock exchange where they ringed the bell and opened a new trading day in order to advertise the ‘MalariaNoMore’ campaign.
Joey Barton - how many second chances does one man get ?
August 5, 2008
Joey Barton’s name will be remembered in football circles long after he’s retired. Not because he’s a great player but because ,currently at least, he’s a disgrace to the game of football.
I’m all in favour of people being given a second chance to be a success or to redeem themselves. Just because someone committed a crime when they were 16 or 18 doesn’t mean to say that by the time they’re in their mid-twenties that they can’t hold down good jobs or be a credit to society.
Unfortunately Barton no longer deserves a second chance and Kevin Keegan’s determination to allow Barton back into a Newcastle shirt straight after completion of a 6 month prison sentence for assault committed on the streets of Liverpool after a drunken incident on December 27th 2007 is unwise at best, utterly stupid at worst. Barton has a history of violence both at the workplace and on the streets. Many of Newcastle’s toon army,have probably temporarily, turned against Keegan because of his willingness to forgive Barton.
Newcastle punished Barton harshly for his transgression (!!!!!!) still paying him £60k a week but depriving him of such fantastic perks as his Newcastle box for family and friends and the help of a club driver. How will he survive?? Read more
Rafael van der Vaart switches to Real Madrid
August 4, 2008
Rafael van der Vaart bought by Real Madrid
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder has finally landed at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Spanish club and the player have admitted that they reached closure with Hamburg SV for the transfer of the Dutch national team player.
Van der Vaart has been linked for several months with the La Liga Champions but Hamburg did not accept a deal because a low transfer fee offered by the Real. Reports state that the German Bundesliga club have refused 6 and 9 million Euros bids for their number 10.
Real Madrid, forced by Wesley Sneijder’s recent injury and in search of a midfielder, have sent an upgraded 13 million Euros bid for Van der Vaart. The German club eventually accepted the deal and the Dutchman will be presented tomorrow at the Santiago Bernabeu. Read more
