Butt's Brain
As Premier League teams have begun their summer training camps this week, we have quite a few links
and bits and pieces of news to report from around the footie world. Here's what's going on in
Butt's Brain: Samir Nasri ... Continue reading →
What's going on in Butt's Brain on this delightful Champions League Tuesday. Some great links and
articles from around the footie web... What has gone wrong for Fernando Torres at Chelsea?
[Guardian] Has Fernando Torres Scored for Chelsea? [Has Fernando ... Continue reading →
Lots of news around the Premier League and Europe and it all starts with Tottenham's unfortunate
crashing out of the Champions League yesterday at Real Madrid 4-0... Here's what else is in Butt's
Brain: Zola believes Chelsea will topple Manchester ... Continue reading →
A bit of what's going on in Butt's Brain today: Is this the future of the England National team?
[Football Manager Stories] West Ham's best player in pre-season, Thomas Hitzlsperger finally made
his debut last night after 6 months out, ... Continue reading →
A bit of what's going on in Butt's Brain on a Tuesday... Former Tottenham boss Martin Jol is in
line for a return to the Premier League and is expected to take over the Newcastle job [Metro]
Holiday charities from ... Continue reading →
What's going on in Butt's Brain on a Thursday morning... Philippe Mexes loses it [Unprofessional
Foul] Football against terrorism... in Russia [The Football Ramble] Random footie videos day. I
hope you have some spare time [The Best Eleven] For those ... Continue reading →
A bit of what's going on in Butt's Brain on a Monday morning as we prepare for the final Premier
League game of the weekend Aston Villa at Stoke: Wayne Rooney to Real Madrid is the latest transfer
BS ... Continue reading →
A bit of what's going on in Butt's Brain from around the footie web: Balotelli, Rooney, Ashley
Cole, and others smoking cigarettes [FootballSup via Unprofessional Foul] Liverpool leave all star
players at home (Gerrard back, Torres fatigue / ... Continue reading →
What Should Cesc do first: Get a haircut or move to Barcelona?
Butt's Brain -
aggregating some interesting footie links from around the web for your consumption and
pleasure:
- Brazil vs Argentina: The greatest rivalry [A Football Report]
- Three words to sum up Cesc Fabregas [Football Corner]
- Clint Dempsey's wife is a WAG.
Happy Monday to all. A bit of what's in Butt's Brain today:
- A Carlos Tevez hat trick starts off the week nicely. [ESPN]
- Happy Passover to Yossi Benayoun, Tamir Cohen, and Luis Fernandez. Yes, Fernandez - the former
French international who is credited with bringing Ronaldinho to Europe, is Israel's new head
coach.
Butt's Brain on a Champions League Wednesday...
- Awesome slide tackle into a stone wall [Dirty Tackle]
- Amazingly, Liverpool haven't scored 3 or more goals in a game since September. Looks like I
won't be bringing in Fernando Torres into my fantasy lineup this week after all [Oh You
Beauty]
- Which outsider would you most like to see play in this summer's World Cup?
The man who will neutralize Cesc Fabregas today, Javier Mascherano
Butt's Brain
this week from around the footie world wide web:
- Exceptional goals of the year so far [A Football Report]
- Very interesting theory - is Shay Given NOT a good goalkeeper? [Football Corner]
- Valencia defender Miguel mocks his coach from the bench [Off the Post]
- Wigan have a new midfield star, and he's only 4.
Butt's Brain on a Monday...
- Czech pub footy is brutal [A Football Report]
- David Beckham escapes LA for Milan... in his own words [Dirty Tackle]
- Mediocre Voronin and mediocre Dossena leave Liverpool, but who will replace them at Anfield?
[Football Corner]
- What leagues are the best in the world?
Neither Chelsea nor Manchester United nor Liverpool won this weekend. The three giants from the
2008-2009 season managed just one point, though all three had home matches. Just one
point from nine at home. Last weekend, we saw a ton of penalty misses. This past weekend, we saw
the vulnerability of the Top 4 (and contenders).
May you suffer a career ending injury, Amr Zaki
So here's a bit of what's been
going on in Butt's Brain these past few days:
- In case you missed it, Roy Keane's mobile phone rant is classic [Unprofessional Foul]
- They beat league leaders Chelsea 3-1 just 2 months ago, but lost to Tottenham 9-1
yesterday.
A few footie links from our buddies around the web as we admire that brilliant Yossi Benayoun
through ball above: Are these the 10 greatest foreign players to play in the Premier League? I
couldn't believe that Ruud van Nistelrooy ... Continue reading →
- Former Fulham striker Collins John has joined the Chicago Fire. He will surely go from being a
European bust to the MLS leading scorer this year... [Unprofessional Foul]
- Roberto Carlos has still got it [Dirty Tackle]
- Liverpool win 4-1 and as we predicted just three days ago, Torres was your star man in the
Premier League this week [Never Captain Nicky Butt]
- A really cool blog post with the best strike rates in Europe this season.
A bit of Butt's Brain...
- Congratulations to Kevin and Cory - the two winners of our Boxing Day Premier League Contest.
These two guys will be receiving some Soccer Pro packs by Zuku (pictured above) for their brilliant
predictions [Zuku]
- Israeli international Barak Itzhaki with the goal of the week for Beitar Jerusalem
[YouTube]
- Who do Arsenal need to sign in January in order to win the league this season?
Beckham learned a thing or two from Pato and Ronaldinho in Milan
- Theo Walcott's girlfriend Mel has "shunned the WAG lifestyle" to continue her university
studies, yet still drives around London in a Ferrari. The winger is out for a month with knee
ligament damage [The Sun]
- Walcott's young teammate Nicklas Bendtner is also facing a month long spell on the sidelines
after picking up a groin injury against Tottenham.
- Great goal celebrations. Adebayor not included [The Offside]
- Birmingham set piece taker James McFadden out for a month [Premier League]
- Mark Hughes could pick himself at striker for the United match [USA Today]
- Win a free Never Captain Nicky Butt T-Shirt [NCNB]
- If the Inter - Barcelona match continued.
- Fabio Aurelio (pictured above scoring a nice free kick against United last season) should
return to action this weekend for Liverpool. [USA Today]
- Portsmouth sign a former Manchester United star player. Unfortunately for Pompey, it's Danny
Webber - who was a star for United in the U-17 team - famously scoring 16 goals in 11 appearances
for United in 1998, including 5 against Fulham.
South Africa star Khumalo
- Tottenham trial South African defender Bongani Khumalo, who impressed this summer at the World
Cup in a central partnership with Mokoena [Tribal Football]
- Eduardo has left Arsenal, in case you care. With Bendtner, Van Persie, and Chamakh (not to
mention Vela) fighting for a starting role up front, the Brazilian turned Croatian will take his
horrific leg breaks and loss of speed to Ukraine [A Football Report]
- Your customary two-footed studs up tackle [Dirty Tackle]
- For USMNT fans, an article on rising midfielders for the 2014 World Cup [The Yanks are
Coming]
- Martin Jole, everyone's choice for next Fulham manager, stays at Ajax [Unprofessional
Foul]
- Chelsea's Cech tears a calf muscle [Times Live]
"My superman pose is better than yours." - Martin "No it's not" - Zavon
- Blog favorite Jimmy Bullard made it 2-in-2 as he scored for Hull's reserves yesterday in the
2-2 draw with York City. Bullard may even start against old club Fulham this weekend. I love this
guy [Vital Football]
- Another one of my man crushes, West Ham's speedy Zavon Hines, has impressed recently for both
club and country [EPL Talk]
- Dirk Kuyt admires big umbrella.
Roberto Carlos can still provide the goods, at age 37
- Avram Grant is the man. Great story leading Portsmouth to the FA Cup final despite the team not
being able to pay its players half the season [101 great goals]
- But, Portsmouth won't be playing in Europe.
Fratton Park is not a happy place
A bit of Butt's Brain on a Wednesday
morning...
- Portsmouth missed paying its players again, and player morale is at an all time low. Can
anything save Pompey from the drop? [Tribal Football]
- Speaking of the drop, it looks like Phil Brown still has a chance to keep Hull up, as Freddy
Adu will join Greek side Aris rather than Hull on loan as expected [CBS Sports]
- Clint Dempsey's spectacular strike vs Stoke yesterday.
Is it Saha or Jo or neither? Everton Striker Arrested for Dealing Drugs
- Polish freestyle football by 19 year old Krzysiek Golonka "Clyde" [Youtube]
- Everton striker arrested on suspicion of dealing cannabis [Off the Post]
- Liverpool's season is over after 8 games [Football Corner]
- Portsmouth's O'Hara happy to leave Spurs and the club has more points after eight games (three)
than Tottenham did last season after eight games (two) [Tribal Football]
- Ipswich manager (or should we just call him former Manchester United legend - since he can't
manage) Roy Keane teaches us how to conduct an interview [Unprofessional Foul]
- 8th year anniversary of that Beckham free kick [In the Stands]
England international Shorey to Portsmouth
- Follow all the transfer deadline day dealings live as the clock ticks away [Telegraph]
- Aston Villa defender Nickey Shorey will be loaned to Pompey. The left back would have been
pushed down the pecking order with Villa's capture of Stephen Warnock from Blackburn [Goal]
- Portsmouth wins one, but loses a bigger one.
He's big, he's red, his feet stick out the bed...
- A scorecard of England players' performances in yesterday's 3-1 win. I think the grades are a
bit harsh... Crouch only gets a B+ [Unprofessional Foul]
- And if you are a USMNT fan, here's America's scorecard from last night's 2-1 loss [Intelligent
Soccer]
- Continuing with the 2-1 Holland win over the US, here is Nigel de Jong's tackle on Bolton's Stu
Holden that broken Holden's leg.
Nice technique with the left
- Who will be the next Liverpool player to have his house robbed while away on Champions League
duty? [Dirty Tackle]
- Robbie Keane to Celtic in January? Makes sense to me. Defoe + Crouch up front with a healthy
Modric back in the midfield, and Pavyluchenko continuing off the bench.
- Will Chelsea take out Porto even without the suspended Drogba and Bosingwa? [Telegraph]
- Manchester United should dominate Turkish champs Besiktas [Goal]
- Adebayor faces FA charges for violent conduct. Get your Craig Bellamy (7.9M) transfers ready -
he's about to get a month's run in the side!
- Sir Alex Ferguson will regret not spending more of his Ronaldo cash [Football Corner]
- The LA Times ranks the top European clubs - no big surprises here [LA Times]
- Bolton's Megson and Everton's Moyes get stuck in [In the Stands]
- Berbatov warned by gangster over flithy texts [Off the Post and Dirty Tackle]
- Soccer commercials from around the world [The Best Eleven]
- A look at England's goalkeeping dilemma [The Football Blog]
The Rest
He's dangerous, and he knows it
- Didier Drogba is back for league leaders Chelsea as they take on relegation strugglers Hull.
Drogba has been in sensational form this season, and after a month spent in Africa, Fantasy Premier
League managers are eager to find out if he can keep up his league form.
Steven Gerrard: The Powerhouse
- Liverpool put club up for sale on Craigslist [Dirty Tackle]
- Arsenal / Tottenham in for Villa's bad boy Reo-Coker. But why? [Football Corner]
- SAF urges Jonny Evans to get married at United press conference [Off the Post]
- Liverpool out-Liverpooled in Europe yesterday.
- Adidas and Puma, founded by two feuding brothers, buried a 61-year-old grudge by playing a
soccer match this week [NY Times]
- Some relevant Carling Cup injury news from Tuesday's matches. Stoke's Ricardo Fuller injured
his groin, while Burnley's heroic goalkeeper Brian Jensen also went off due to injury [Sky] and
[Sky]
- England's one cap wonders.
