It is midnight. My bag for the day is packed. Replica kit and scarf are carefully folded. Mobile is charged. Sandwiches for the twelve hour return coach trip are prepared. I am ready.
In just under seven hours I will be boarding Supporters Coach Number 2 outside a pub on the Radstock roundabout. Click to continue reading...

Cheltenham Town 0 – 4 Crewe Alexandra
League 2 - Saturday 31st October 2009
Cheltenham were given a lesson in basic football skills by a well prepared Crewe Alexandra. Dario Gradi is one of - if not the - longest serving managers in any of the leagues. He sent out a solid and disciplined side who kept their shape, passed well, defended in strength when needed and made the most of their opportunities. Click to continue reading...

Sunderland battled bravely to secure a 1-0 win over Liverpool at the Stadium of Light and exacerbate the anxiety of Liverpool fans who are painfully realizing that their team will not win the Premier League this season.
Darren Bent controversially scored for the Black Cats in the first half when his shot deflected in off a balloon which had been tossed onto the pitch by a fan. Click to continue reading...

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has been showing signs of cracking. The new soccer hero of Madrid has been recently diagnosed with performance anxiety. Meaning that he suffers from panic attacks before games. It was one thing to be the top dog for Manchester United but now that he's with Real Madrid he feels as if he has to perform at his best at all times to warrant his $132 million paycheck.

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As Arsene Wenger correctly pointed out, few expected Thomas Vermaelen to have such a big impact with Arsenal on his first month with the club.

But, the Belgian was the player of the month for August and on his brilliant start of the season, the Frenchman told the club's official website:

I believe that is good recognition for the quality of Thomas' performances.

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The TIM trophy is a yearly football tournament played between juventus, Inter and Milan usually.Juventus won it for the first time since 2001 beating AC Milan 2 - 0.Ronaldinho justified AC Milan fans' anxiety about him.They were right to tell him to go to stop partying and go to bed the other day Sloppy play by him helped Juv to the second goal.

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The day before the day before the season and I am a bundle of nerves.
Everything kicks off in Essex against Chelmsford City on Saturday and although we really need a good start I have no idea how we are going to begin. The evidence is decidedly mixed.
Last year we struggled to score goals in the preseason and the regular season. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool are set to offer Javier Mascherano an astronomical pay increase in order to encourage him to remain at Anfield, and resist the charms of Barcelona.
British tabloid The Daily Mail is reporting that Mascherano's wife is unhappy in England, and did not want to return after a summer break in Argentina, leading to concern at Anfield that he may want to move soon. Click to continue reading...

The pre-season period is full of rumors, anxiety and shocking news. And the latest shocking news comes from The Theater of Dreams.Manchester United are trying to hire the services of Michael Owen. The ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle striker has been a free agent since his contract with the Magpies expired last month. Click to continue reading...

I am getting that nervous feeling you attribute with anxiety and excitement, it Confederations cup time and Italy are paired up in Group B with the US and some aspiring footballing start up called Brazil.I understand they are a side with incredible potential. In Group A Spain will accommodate the competitive aspirations of host South Africa,Iraq and New Zealand. Click to continue reading...

Will it be Hull City, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, or Newcastle?

Phil Brown, Ricky Sbragia, Gareth Southgate, and Alan Shearer live in trepidation and anxiety. Sir Alex has had to come out in public to reassure Hull's rivals that he is not short selling them with his eyes firmly on the CL finals three days later.

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Sandefjord 2 - 2 Rosenborg

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Newly promoted Sandefjord's super start to the season is causing much anxiety amongst the Norwegian football intelligentisa, simply because no one can explain it. One can only write stuff like "well organized", "plucky", "disciplined" and "being underrated by opponents" for so long before people pick you up on the fact that these are merely half-hearted descriptions of how they are playing, rather than a proper explanation to why this unfancied and unfashionable team is proving so bloody hard to beat.

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Adriano is a free spirit who could not adjust to the rigors of European football.Being thousands of miles away from home away from friends and family wore his love of the game down to almost nothing. Today in his press conference after signing with Flamengo the talented striker said
"I always wanted to return to Flamengo. Click to continue reading...

If you have read some of the press and blog comments over the last two days then you may be forgiven for wishing that Arsene Wenger would adopt his own rules of not being provocative after a humiliating defeat by his arch enemy SAF. He is quoted defending the quality of the players at the club, and the perspective given is that in the midst of intensifying criticism by a substantial minority of fans, that he has come out onto the attack and with the impression being given that no changes are planned and that there will be more of the same next season.

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The U-17 meninos will take on Argentina later tonight... and the tension is mounting! Even coach Lucho Nizza had to take the boys for an innocent night out (yes futbolitas, please control yourselves) to calm their nerves.

"I took the kids to the circus here in the city to calm the environment and alleviate the tension.

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As many of you know, my computer's broken and I can't:

- Write blog posts.
- Communicate with anyone.
- Keep up with Valencia CF news.
- Function normally.

The problem should be fixed by the beginning of next week. So expect new posts and 'witty' comments then.
As for Real Madrid?

Click to continue reading...

This will be good to watch, the disaster at Santander yesterday praticallysinks any hope of finishing in Champions League positions for Atletico deMadrid. A terrible defence, no idea of play at all that will lead to someserious changes that will no doubt be coming up in the future at the Club,they have too! Click to continue reading...

Who needs the Premier League's Big Four? Well if it is high skill, goals galore and electric entertainment that is expected from a weekend, everybody. But if it is nail-biting anxiety and grim wars of attrition that float the boat, nobody.
Review
Best of the Weekend
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Liverpool's Spanish striker Fernando Torres looks set to face a busy summer of football with little time for a summer break, after the Merseyside club announced plans to tour Thailand in July.
Torres is already set to play for Spain in the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June and may now have to report back to Liverpool shortly afterwards as the club plan to travel to Asia for a pre-season tour. Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez is tipping Liverpool to beat Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, as he feels they are under no pressure to do so.
With the Blues scoring three away goals in the first leg at Anfield, the Reds must score at least three goals at Stamford Bridge to ensure they overcome a 3-1 deficit and progress to the semi-final. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri is keen to make his mark on the first team following his competitive debut against Crewe Alexandra in midweek.
Cavalieri made his senior bow as the Reds scraped a 2-1 victory over the Alex in their Carling Cup third-round tie on Tuesday.
And after getting his first little taste of first-team football, the Brazilian shot-stopper is hungry for more. Click to continue reading...

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson expects revival in time for Chelsea
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is refusing to let anxiety settle in at Old Trafford, convinced that his players will turn on the style in time for their visit to Stamford Bridge.
From Telegraph. Click to continue reading...

Why has Wembley suddenly become a nightmare venue for England? For years Wembley was a fortress. The team played in front of flag waving fans in a serious show of patriotism. With the possible exception of Euro 1996, England often let down the fans but still they supported them. Now, with the humiliating failure to qualify for Euro 2008 some of the fans have turned on the players and started to demand more from their well paid, over-hyped representatives on the pitch. Click to continue reading...

And that is why we are 0-3-3 in the last six games.

That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

In teaching theory, "Stephen Krashen offers three ‘affective variables' that have been identified as being related to language-acquisition : these are ‘motivation', ‘self-confidence' and ‘anxiety'.

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With the season fast approaching, I'm sure many of you are like me and find your minds wandering throughout the day. Whether you're with the wife, the family, or at work, your mind just can't stop thinking about the beginning of the football season. Just as we work the five days throughout the week to get to the weekend, I am beginning to feel that I live my summers just to get to August. Click to continue reading...