HANDBAGS! Childishness is an attribute you would more commonly associate with Cristiano Ronaldo rather than Pep Guardiola. But it was the Barcelona coach's rather unnecessary refusal to hand the ball to the Real Madrid star which sparked this incident. Ronaldo dished out a pretty minor shove to Guardiola's chest sparking a fine example of the [.

I really dislike Phil Brown, his managerial style, his team and the general fear of serious injury that such games evoke. These are managers whose teams can be summed up by one word – fight.

In itself, fighting spirit is not a bad quality. In fact, it's a necessary attribute for any top side and I really appreciate a team with the ability to give their all.

COS Contributor Chris Wright looks at the imminent managerial switch that makes little or no sense.

Buy Burnley Tickets at Fantastic Prices!

Join Our Facebook Fan Page for the Latest News/Rumours/Forums/Videos/WAGS/Funny Stuff/Features!

From the moment it was announced that the Bolton Wanderers top brass were coquettishly fluttering their eyelids at Owen Coyle across a crowded saloon and that he was reciprocating with a coy flick of his hair or two, one question loomed large in my and many other people's minds; ‘Why would he want to go?

Another England match, another goal for Peter Crouch. Sure, the one against Mexico yesterday was hardly artful, in fact, it was illegal on two fronts: handball and offsides.

But to speak of that Mexican injustice misses the point. Peter Crouch somehow, someway finds the back of the net for England at an astonishing, befuddling, flabbergasting, headscratching, have-to-rub-your-eyes-twice-when-you-read-the-numbers-to-make-sure-your-vision-hasn't-failed-you.

The World Cup final happens this Sunday, July 11th. Hopefully you already knew that. If not, read our World Cup final preview and get yourself up to speed.

Everyone else, I have two simple questions for you:

1. Netherlands or Spain: Who do you think will win the World Cup?

A tremendous attribute in any person, as well as a member of a team, is the idea of having humility.
Humility, dictionary definitions say, is marked by modesty, meekness, diffidence and an unassuming attitude. Dictionaries also contrast humility with arrogance and pride. Yet we live in a culture where pride is celebrated, arrogance is almost a perquisite to be taken seriously in business, politics and sports.

One uncanny, physical attribute that Wayne Rooney's paid pal and Steven Gerrard's missus-before-they-were-married have in common? A shared case of the bloat face, Kickettes. Images: Google.

I said in my match preview that I fancied that this game would end as a draw. but I could never have imagined that it would have left such a bitter taste in my mouth.

We went into this game knowing that we really needed a win and came agonosingly close, as Liverpool, Manchester City and Villa all picked up three points.

Niklas Bendtner

Who is a great striker? Is he a player who scores an amazing goal every 2/3 games? Is he the man who notches a tap-in every game? Or is he the man who rarely scores, but who does manage to hold the ball up, get a knock-on?

Niklas Bendtner, at Arsenal, really does split the fans & divide opinions like no other.

By Dominic Vieira, writing from Portugal

The countdown continues. With 9 days remaining until the World Cup officially kicks off, here are the top 9 African stars who will shine and drive their team forward throughout the tournament.

9.

We've finally had some action then, some goals, some intrigue, some French embarrassment. The World Cup has truly begun. It's a week late, but, nevertheless, it is here. And now that the tournament is finally coming alive, we can have a genuine glance at the myriad of young talent on show.

First on the scout's shortlist should be Chile's young forward Alexis Sanchez.

It's no longer new news, but England will now be without their second or third choice striker Emile Heskey as he's recently announced his retirement from international football. But my question to you the readers of EPL Talk is: will he be missed?

By examining Heskey's numbers one will find that he's had a respectable run of service with the England national team appearing 62 times yet has returned a poor goal scoring record having netted only seven.

I wanna be, I wanna be like Mike.

Mike is back. And looking proper.

Michael Essien clothed himself in the blue of Chelsea for the first time in some six months Saturday afternoon, netting the only goal in a 1-0 exhibition win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Attack-minded U.S. 2010 World Cup defender Jonathan Bornstein was born and raised in Southern California and remained in the area for college (Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA) and pro ball (Chivas USA). The 25-year-old explains to Soccer America's Mike Woitalla why he's joining Mexico's Tigres UANL following the 2010 MLS season and how his youth experience helped shape his career.

In preparation for the worst case scenario this transfer window, I've convinced myself that Arsenal won't be signing anybody else of real note.

If we don't there is going to be serious implications for this years title charge. I don't see how we can go into this season weaker than what we were last season and expect to do any better.

Zinedine Zidane once described Paul Scholes as "undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation". A fine compliment indeed for a player who has seen it all, and done it all. Having mustered 643 appearances in his Manchester United career so far, it is no wonder Paul Scholes is regarded as highly as he is.

Troy Polamalu is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. He has blinding speed, a relentless motor and packs a powerful punch. However, his most recognizable attribute is his flowing hair. Polamalu's mane landed him a sponsorship deal with Head and Shoulders. Now, Head and Shoulders has decided to protect their investment by putting a $1 million insurance on Troy Polamalu's hair.

After spending a few relaxing weeks in the sun, I'm still struggling to get up to date with all things Arsenal. Although it's still early days, the main two things that have caught my attention are the failure to purchase a new goalkeeper this summer, as well as the recent re-emergence of Theo Walcott.

From the Evansville Courier Press, October 17, 2010

Humility is a key attribute in a successful person, as well as a good teammate.

The dictionary defines humility as modesty and an unassuming attitude, and contrasts it with arrogance. The challenge in teaching and preaching humility within your team is that we see arrogance celebrated in business, politics and sports – you only have to turn on ESPN to see that lack of modesty by athletes after scoring touchdowns or listening to an interview with a player who talks about themselves in third person.

Instead of more thoughts, I'm basking in the goal of the early season.

This is partly down to sheer laziness, partly down to wanting to gloss over the fact that the second half nearly put me into an anxiety coma, partly down to not wanting to make excuses and attribute everything to Chelsea having an "off day," and partly down to going on a bit of a bender in the late afternoon to celebrate my best friend's baby being born.

Resolve is a massive quality that great teams need to have to compete for titles. The ability to 'never say die' is what keeps great teams in matches, and gives them a level of belief that they can win.

Manchester United's 2-2 draw versus Aston Villa this past weekend gave credence to those who believe that United will continue to compete with Chelsea for the English Premier League title this year, and their resolve is something that is ingrained in the culture of the club.

Liverpool striker David Ngog wants to improve every attribute in his attacking arsenal.
The 21-year-old Frenchman remains second choice to Fernando Torres at Anfield, but amid his club's struggles he has shown clear signs of development in his form and conditioning this season.
Ngog has scored seven goals in all competitions and his hold-up play in a lone role has advanced in the last 12 months.

Ask someone who the best player in the world is and nine times out of ten the answer is either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Essien is a fantastic player and does not usually get mentioned in the same breath as the Argentinian and Portuguese men, but why not. I believe that Michael Essien is as good, if not better.