A new decade, a new year, and 10 players I'll be keeping a watchful eye on for one reason or another in 2010. We all know Drogba, Rooney, Torres, Defoe and the lot will get their 20+ goals and single handily place their teammates on their shoulders and march onwards. But what about the role players that could make or break their clubs championship winning run, help their club break into the top 4, or save their club from relegation and a year in the Championship?

No less a publication than the New York Times took note of Deuce's wonder goal against Stoke earlier this week (watch it here), a small but sure sign that there is a growing appetite for football/soccer in the States.

The NYT ran a blog post yesterday titled "Spectacular Dempsey Goal Raises Eyebrows, and His Reputation".

Even Alex Ferguson acknowledged Leeds were well worthy of their victory (despite bleating on about stoppage time AGAIN. He sounds like a cantankerous grumbling old grand-dad). This was no Championship Manager-esque 'team who has twenty shots loses to team who had one'. Beckford made Wes Brown look far from an England international class defender, which must be worrying for Capello as he looked a good option to cover at both right back and centre back at the World Cup.

LD and Phil Neville in full flight today for Everton. (AP Photos).

Especially in the first half of his Goodison Park debut in the Toffees' 2-0 win over Manchester City. The win saw Everton propel themselves into the EPL top 10, while City dropped out of the top four with a performance that was, frankly, total crap (sorry to get so technical).

Continuing our look at teams for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, this week we look at Group B England Ranked 9 by FIFA Winners in 1966 Manager: Fabio Capello Key Player: Wayne Rooney Every Englishmans hopes and dreams rest on the 'Roonster' being fit and in top form. We say it every World Cup, but surely this is the [.

::: FistedAway today welcomes a guest post from Elliott, editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::

The Capello reign of England has been characterised by one theme: discipline. From intense training sessions to WAG and cell phone bans, the Italian has instilled a meritocratic selection regime fueled by the foot soldier's mentality.

A London judge today lifted a gag order that had prevented the British press from publishing reports about Terry's affair with England, and former Chelsea player, Wayne Bridges girlfriend.

Yes you read that write. England's "Dad of the Year" was sleeping with his teammates girlfriend.

A London judge today lifted a gag order that had prevented the British press from publishing reports about Terry's affair with England, and former Chelsea player, Wayne Bridges girlfriend.

Yes you read that write. England's Captain and "Dad of the Year" was sleeping with his teammates girlfriend.

photo credit: CLF

David Beckham was given some great news this holiday season. The former Manchester United star found out that his odds of making the World Cup squad this summer just got to be around 99%. In fact according to the most important source of England national squad information, manager Fabio Capello, the Becks is all but a guarantee to be on the roster this summer in South Africa.

O italiano Carlo Ancelloti, técnico do Chelsea, acredita que seu compatriota Fábio Capello, treinador da Inglaterra, está mais bem servido de craques para montar sua equipe na Copa do Mundo de 2010 do que Dunga, técnico da Seleção Brasileira.
De acordo com o técnico dos Chelsea, a Inglaterra tem pelo menos seis jogadores entre os melhores do mundo: Frank Lampard, John Terry e Ashley Cole, do Chelsea, Rio Ferdinand e Wayne Rooney, do Manchester United, e o meio-campista Steven Gerrard, que atua no Liverpool.

Everyone would agree that the Manchester United engine hasn't run too smoothly this season. It's been a bumpy ride, many believing that the Red Devils are simply not the same without Cristiano Ronaldo. Others have blamed Sir Alex, and a small minority has bizarrely called for the sack.

A possibility that has been suggested in The Sunday Telegraph today:

Better than any of his detractors, the Frenchman knows that his days as the totemic pillar of a Premier League midfield are finished.

Already Vieira is looking to the future. Indeed, his move to Manchester City is understood to be motivated less by a nostalgia for his Arsenal achievements, or any desire to revive those days of yore, than by a strategy to develop the next phase of his career – in coaching.

Football, I can report, still has the power to amaze.

After a sabbatical of 3½ years, Sol Campbell's all set to sign for Arsenal until the end of the season. Amazing because he's 35, amazing because he's hardly the age profile of the classic Wenger signing, and amazing because despite having trained for months with the club, nobody really saw it coming.

"He told me that I was a good player but that if I listened and learned he would turn me into a great player. Those words were really encouraging but I know that it is down to me to work hard.
"I keep saying it but I am still young. There are aspects of the game that only come with experience and I am gaining that all the time whether I am in or out of the side.

photo credit: bortescristian

The Team: I watch a ton of MLS, and that is the most lively I have seen Beckham look in years! All kidding aside, it is no secret that Yanks like myself do not care much for Becks or England's "football" team.

I am Becks. You know this. Welcome to my blog, again. I write it for myself (I call it a blogoire because it sounds European and intelligent), as it allows me to chart my glorious return through the tales of European football before I journey to South Africa for the World Cup under St George's cross.

I was shocked to see that Algeria had beaten tournament favorites Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup, this result will have been a major positive for England as it highlights the danger of Algeria. I'm sure Fabio Capello would have been watching this game closely and would have learnt a lot from it.

I'm aware that this blog is turning a bit of a Wayne Rooney smoochfest. But he's our best player, and he's in top form. So commence smooching.

Rooney put in another fine performance last night in the League Cup semi-final second leg vs Man City, including a 92nd minute header that won the game for Man Utd.

The first story about the hooligan threat to the World Cup has emerged courtesy of South Africa's Times Live. It follows incidents at Wednesday night's Carling Cup Manchester derby. There's just one problem. The author takes some critics to task for suggesting the Togo attack will have any bearing on the World Cup.

It's Wayne's World

It's a good job that Wayne Rooney has broad shoulders because he's currently carrying the hopes of his club, one of the biggest in the world, on his robust frame. This summer he will also add the weight of the nation on top of that already heavy load . Rooney is in the form of his life and it's a good job he is because his club and country depend on him more than he may even realise.

Rivoluzione francese

Poche ore fa, è rotolata nel cesto del patibolo allestito dalla somma trinit pagana, il reverendissimo Jean Claude Blanc, la testa di Ciro Ferrara da Napoli, erede di Bruscolotti sulla linea dei terzini e di Marcello Lippi da Viareggio sulla panca.