Robin van Persie's on an English Premier League record-setting pace this season as his hat trick against a woeful Blackburn team on Feb. 4 upped his league total to 22 goals in 24 games. He's already eclipsed last year's Golden Boot scoring record of 20 which was shared by Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and Dmitar Berbatov of Manchester United and his own mark of 18 EPL goals.

Viteslea Lavicka is leaving!
Well is he leaving or was he dumped? Guess it doesn't matter.
Has a manager in Australia, in Sydney, ever been given such an easy ride.
The media in Australia all write and tweet about the guy being a lovely bloke but what about his coaching, how will he remembered?

Ahead of this weekend's FA Cup game against Liverpool, Andy Cole has reflected on his time playing for United at Anfield.

Cole scored at Anfield in our 3-1 win in the 1996-1997 season, scored two there the following season, and again in 1999.

"When I was in the team I used to love playing at Anfield," he told the official site.

By David Chalmers

If you'll excuse the pun and read on...

Over a number of years, football has played with systems and tried to define formations while the brains on the bench tell us that their players aren't confined to a sole set of instructions, but taking a look at the Premier League this season, it's looking increasingly more like target men are the focal point of most sides at this moment in time.

• Kop That: Aston Villa 0-2 Liverpool: Bellamy Stars in Reds' Stroll http://t.co/HoetDCgZ 23:50:59, 2011-12-18
• Kop That: Premier League Official Line special with Graham Poll http://t.co/yA9zmlBC 22:51:25, 2011-12-18
• Kop That: Darren Bent apologises over shopping row http://t.

Daft quotes of the Week starring Merse, Wilkins, Dwight Yorke and more

Daft quotes of the Week "Everton are literally a bag of Revels" – PAUL MERSON "What do I like about Spurs? The flairness" – DWIGHT YORKE "Every ball that is kicked, Martin O'Neill will be literally kicking it" – DWIGHT YORKE "This young man has legs to die for" – RAY WILKINS ON RAMIRES "Marlon King is as predatory as ever" – BOB HALL "United won't be talking visibly about it" – GARY NEVILLE "Jay Bothroyd absolutely lambasts the ball" – SAM MATTERFACE "2-0 up with three minutes to go and you c.

Manchester United and Arsenal, from 1997 to 2005, undoubtedly engaged in the era-defining rivalry in English football. In order to be classified as a great sporting rivalry the protagonists must move beyond the feudalistic; the edge and the aggro, and be ultimately characterised by supreme competition and a bountiful supply of dramatic and heart-stopping moments.

Manchester United and Arsenal, from 1997 to 2005, undoubtedly engaged in the era-defining rivalry in English football. In order to be classified as a great sporting rivalry the protagonists must move beyond the feudalistic; the edge and the aggro, and be ultimately characterised by supreme competition and a bountiful supply of dramatic and heart-stopping moments.

An Ode to Ole - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, also known as the baby-faced assassin, is one of the ultimate legends in Manchester United folklore. He was snapped up from Molde in 1996, the club he now manages, for a bargain basement purchase of just £1.5 million.

Darren Bent's brace against Norwich on Saturday took his Premier League career goal tally to 96, he's just four short of joining the Ton Up Club.

It's a pretty exclusive club with former Villans Dwight Yorke and Dion Dublin, plus current Villan Emile Heskey, among its 20 members.
Bent's definitely got his eye on getting past the doorman, he told the official site:

I've still got a few things I'd like to achieve, like 100 Premier League goals.

We've had lots of foreign coaches in the A-League - usually at inflated prices.
The Dutch duo are currently sitting bottom - the Kiwi is just ahead.
Of the ten current coaches five are foreign and only Vitaslav Lavicka and Scottish Coach Iain Ferguson are in the top half of the table - both probably have spent more money than their counterparts.

Archie Thompson has been one of the A-League most effective forwards and goalscorers in the A-League.
He's tricky, crafty, plays with a smile and when fit causes havoc.
So why not play Archie nearer to the goal, rather than out on the wing, and you might find that the Victory goal drought is over.

Dwight Howard en la Gira adidas por China compartió el entarimado con aficionados

Esta es la primer gira adidas Basketball por Beijing y contó con Dwight Howard que estuvo conviviendo con fanáticos.

Próximamente Dwight lanzará los nuevos adiPower que llevan su nombre y logotipo "dh"
Cientos de aficionados se reunieron en el Parque Di Tan en Beijing y formaron el logotipo "dh" de Dwight Howard (DH Beijing Ditan Park-11)

Dwight Howard usó una máscara en alusión a la Ópera de Pekín (foto DH Beijing Ditan Park-14)

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By Gina Baldassarre, writing from Sydney

After a tiring, drawn-out saga, a contract has finally been signed, the dust is beginning to settle, and the prodigal son is coming home. And no, I'm not actually talking about Cescgate.

That's right my friends, those of us living down under have had twice the transfer drama to keep us on the edge of our seats this winter.

With the A-League teetering along last year football was heading back to the future.
Despite the move into Asia, a successful Asia Cup campaign, the rise of the Matildas and the increasing number of Young Guns pushing into the Socceroos and starring in the A-League moving to Europe and Asia, football still lacked any sense of security or money for our A-League clubs to survive, never mind to move ahead.

Got this email overnight from England - loved it, so blogged it!
Eamonn
Without doubt the greatest week in the short history of the A-League.
Not the greatest day: that was when the A-League kicked off but certainly the greatest marquee since Dwight Yorke.
I am currently living in the UK (missing Australia like you wouldn't believe) and I was driving in my car listening to the radio coverage of Arsenal/ Udinese when they cut to Blackburn Rovers who had just scored in the Carling Cup "Brett Emerton.

Harry Kewell the man who so nearly won the Asian Cup for Australia, in January 2011 is expected to sign for Melbourne Victory for THREE YEARS tomorrow.
This is great news for football fans, for the A-League and Australian football.
The process may have been long and arduous but Australia's greatest player will return to Australia at just 32.

As the Americans would say, Gameweek 1 is over. F*CK YEAH! Let's see who's feeling higher than Pete Doherty and those who are lower than a snake's belly.Going Up

Sergio Aguero & David Silva

I am sure I am not the only person who is going to be commenting on the spunktastic debut from Sergio Aguero but it was truly wonderful to watch.

Former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke has expressed concern for the Villans, suggesting that a top half finish is out of their reach this season. The Villans have sold star players Ashley Young and Stewart Downing this summer, along with the loss of American goalkeeper Brad Friedel to Tottenham.

Roy Keane and Henrik Larsson will make emotional returns to Manchester United and Celtic respectively to-night to raise fund for Oxfam's East African Famine Appeal.

Keane will be joined by 1999 historic Treble winners team-mates Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and Dwight Yorke for the the Charity match against Celtic.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes yesterday signed off with a 6-0 win in his testimonial match against the New York Cosmos. The Old Trafford crowd was lucky enough to witness the perfect sign off as Scholes opened the scoring in the ninth minute before showing off his passing range.

Below is a video of Scholes' ninth minute goal, where a short corner kick eventually found itself at his feet 20 yards from goal.

The New York Cosmos will take to the field for the first time in more than 25 years, doing so at Old Trafford as Manchester United's opponent for the Paul Scholes Testimonial (2:30 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel).

The Cosmos, who will be coached by former United star and current Cosmos director of soccer Eric Cantona, will be featuring the likes of Brad Friedel, Brian McBride, Patrick Vieira, Gary Neville, Robbie Keane, Sol Campbell, Fabio Canavarro, Michel Salgado, Dwight Yorke, Wayne Bridge, Robert Pires and Nicky Butt along with members of the organization's U-23 team.

Following a run of poor form in 2001 after being played behind the striker, Paul Scholes was dropped from the starting XI for our trip to Anfield. Scholes came off the bench with ten minutes to go but two goals from Michael Owen sealed a 3-1 defeat for United.

So angry was Scholes for being left out in favour of Butt and Veron, he refused to play in our next game, which was against Arsenal in the League Cup.

Much to the disappointment of lots of reds, Wes Brown left the club for Sunderland earlier in the transfer window.

Having played in just seven league games last season, Brown realised it was time for him to move on.

"I spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson," said Brown. "I decided it was probably for the best that I moved as it didn't look like I would be playing much this season.

Andy Cole 53'. Barcelona 3-3 Manchester United, Champions League fifth round group phase 1998/99.

Great goals always stand the test of time. The initial feeling of awe and ecstasy they induce, not to mention the artistic brilliance that make them unique, mean that they can never be replicated.

Not being Irish, I don't really understand the whole "second team" malarky. When Robbie Keane signed for Liverpool, claiming they were his boyhood team, before signing for Celtic, and claiming the same, he was ridiculed on this blog. I, like many, didn't and don't understand how you can support two teams.

I love to go to the beach and build a castle, a sand castle. But despite all the oohs and aahs from passers by I know that in the arvo someone will have come by and stamped on my creation.
Nothing permanent.
And such is football in Australia - it seems to me.
How many times have we heard Manchester United are coming, or in recent times Celtic, Juventus or Beckham.

Okay, yeah, Real Madrid. I can see that. AC Milan...they're in the conversation, no question.
But other than that, we pretty much saw the two most annoying teams Europe had to offer. And, therefore, the world, because Europe would never dream of there being a category in soccer they didn't dominate.

Saturday's final between Manchester United and FC Barcelona has a number of storylines. For those in the CONCACAF region one storyline that sticks out is the inclusion and impact that Mexican sensation Chicharito can make on Saturday's championship.

While the Mexican's ascent into stardom will receive a boost from winning the finale Saturday he's not the first player from the CONCACAF region to play in the final.

Sigh heaped upon sigh.
After Wednesday's post celebrating Motherwell's 1991 Scottish Cup win I knew I had to redress the balance.
Fast forward ten years.
Celtic win the Scottish Cup, complete the treble, with a comprehensive 3-0 win over my Hibernian.
A cracking Celtic team it was.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reflected on his second season at Manchester United when he started to suffer from a lack of confidence.

"It's incredible how important confidence is," he said. "I had very low confidence, I thought too much in periods. They put me on the team with Roy Keane on every training for a month to toughen me up.

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel believes that Sir Alex Ferguson is the best manager in the world.
The Scot has won 11 Premier League titles and looks set to win a 12th with just one point needed from the club's remaining two games, while he has also won the Champions League twice with the Red Devils.

Confirmed:

Nicky Butt
"When Gary asked me to play in his game I immediately said yes, especially when I heard that the class of 92 were going to be there too," said Butt. "It was a special time for all of us growing up and it is only now as you look back that you actually see what an amazing story it is.

Patrick Vieira was interviewed by SportingIntelligence.com and asked which players would make his best XI from all the years he's played in England.

Remarkably, Vieira's team, which he couldn't restrict to just eleven players, was filled with Manchester United players, some Arsenal players, and nobody from his current club, Manchester City.

Manchester City legend Mike Summerbee got into a heated debate Saturday after his side lost 2-1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. The discussion was aired on Sky Sports where Summerbee, sitting alongside Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke and Jamie Redknapp defended City's performance by arguing that they had more of the possession, created more chances and the only difference between the two sides was a spectacular goal.

Mike Summerbee's post game rant on Sky Sports epitomised the average Manchester City fan, with bitterness and delusion aplenty.

The former Manchester City player was clearly distressed with the fact that Manchester united won 2-1 with a spectacular goal from Wayne Rooney and was unable to hold back his emotions.

Newcastle Jets millionaire owner Nathan Tinkler is ready to offer Manchester United striker Michael Owen a thoroughbred Horse and cash to join his AFL side.

Owen who's contract run's out in the Summer could join the likes of Robbie Fowler and Dwight Yorke in the Aussie League.

When former Manchester United hero Dwight Yorke was first mentioned as a possible Sydney FC marquee signing in the brand new A-League six years ago it was met with disbelief by a cynical Australian...
Continue to the full story

To make people think about how potentially frightening Chelsea FC will be in future years, I want to start by claiming that Fernando Torres, for me, joins the club as not only the second finest striker in world football but also the second best striker at Chelsea Football Club. Think about it.

- Playing for the youth team in 1993
- In the background of the celebrations for United's Premiership title win in 1994.
- Taking a throw against Villa at Old Trafford in our 1-0 win during the 94-95 season.
- Against Wimbledon during the opening week of the 95-96 season (you know, the year we weren't going to win anything with kids)
- Holding on to Premiership trophy with brother Phil at the end of the 95-96 season.