Anzhi Makhachkala, the Russian club with an abundance of wealth behind them, are reportedly close to signing Fabio Capello as manager. The club, owned by Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, has made no attempts to hide its wealth and in recent times has made moves for every notable high profile player available for transfer.

While the FM database let me down a bit with United's new Brazilian trialist, Alfredo, it appears to have a more fully-realized take on another forward trialist: youth US Nat Stefan Jerome. Though not all of his stats are defined in the database, most are, and that's enough to provide us a reasonable picture of where he's at now.

First let me kill any hopes you may have for screenshots or comparisons with current or former players. You can safely rule out long-winded analysis as well. There won't be any for this one. Put simply: Alfredo Francisco Martins is a mere sketch of a player in FM. No size, no footedness, roughly a quarter of his stats defined[1].

In the first part of our FM scouting series, we looked at United's new DP forward Hamdi Salihi. Now it's time to turn our attention to central defender Emiliano Dudar...

click to enlarge

What jumps out immediately is Dudar's marking ability and aerial power, the later of which, given his size, was to be expected.

While I'm relatively certain that most dedicated followers of MLS will know what United are getting with the likes of Maicon Santos and Danny Cruz, there's still an element of mystery surrounding the acquisitions from the mid-tier Euro-leagues. Most of us see precious little from Swiss or Austrian clubs outside of perhaps the odd Europa League highlight.

While I'm relatively certain that most dedicated followers of MLS will know what United are getting with the likes of Maicon Santos and Danny Cruz, there's still an element of mystery surrounding the acquisitions from the mid-tier Euro-leagues. Most of us see precious little from Swiss or Austrian clubs outside of perhaps the odd Europa League highlight.

It was all just an excuse to see R.R. Drenthe's hair up close, I swear to ya! January transfer madness came and went in England and it was ... as mild as a game of "Marble Madness." (insert groan here.) Unless you're a person who spends 99 percent of his waking hours playing "Football Manager," it's tough to get revved up for David Pizzaro moving on loan from Roma to Manchester City.

A few weeks ago while watching the MLS Player Combine I was struck by a strange realization; what happens in the Seattle Sounders FO is a spectator sport and that for me it is one of my favorite aspects of the game.

The internet broadcasts for the Combine were sponsored by a video game called Football Manager 2012 by Sega.

I'm glad I'm not a football manager. Davide Santon brings down Andrew Johnson this afternoon. Alan Pardew seemed to have the perfect game plan in the first half, as the Newcastle team completely outplayed Fulham and Alan Pardew seemed to completely out coach Martin Jol. And then came the second half.

By Alan Duffy

"Re-Tweet this son you're f****n' s**t"

Hell hath no fury than a spurned football manager, particularly if it's Neil Warnock. The ex-QPR boss, who tends to divide opinion (people either strongly dislike him or hate him), has hit out at the influence of critics and players on owner Tony Fernandes, claiming that his own reputation was "slowly poisoned" by outside forces with Twitter playing a key role in his downfall.

Simon Taylor, a professional footballer, give insight into his life inside the game. Every week, exclusively for In The Stands... Introduction to me, and my Diary Hi. My name is Simon Taylor and I am a professional-footballer. Now, before I go into more detail, I am by no means famous. In fact if you Google my [.

Sam Haase likes football and he can't hold back the words anymore... From Maradona to astronomic wages; Sam slurges to you his one true love. I have grown up watching football almost my entire life I don't know any different -and for me it is quite simply the best sport in the world. The pace, [.

By Mark Burke

Editor's Note: Mark is an ex-professional footballer who played at Aston Villa, Wolverhampton, and Middlesbrough in the late 80s/early 90s, as well as abroad in Holland, Japan, Romania, and Sweden. He provides deep, unique insight into the game and its surrounding business and tactics.

New Melbourne Victory interim coach Jim Magilton isn't just a football manager. He was also quite a decent player in his day and at 42 years of age he's still got the skills. Here he is wipping in some nice free kicks that even Carlos Hernandez would be proud of in the Hyundai Football Challenge last year.

by Adam Bate

Progress. It's the bane of the football manager. No matter what you deliver there'll always be people wanting more. It's a problem surely consuming Wolves manager Mick McCarthy right now. After lifting the club from the Championship in 2009, fans are now left wondering if progress is something McCarthy is still capable of delivering.

"I wonder what Wenger will blame this time?" Those were the words of a clearly delighted Fulham fan to his mate on the bus to Clapham Junction after the late winner denied us at Craven Cottage last night.

After all,it struck me that, despite Djourou's sending off we were, to use a Wenger word, inefficient in front of goal in the first half and then went to sleep at the death when Zamora hit the winner.

Research reveals Premier League sides who bring in a new manager mid-season benefit by 4.7 points

Sports Interactive have showcased that clubs who opt for a short-term fix often reap the rewards, ahead of the release of the iOS version of Football Manager 2012

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2011-12-28 15:14:00 from: Goal

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

I've received an early Christmas present.
Much to my wife's delight, our kitchen calendar next year will be the Official Wolverhampton Wanderers FC Calendar for 2012.
I don't know what it's like in your house, but in ours, the kitchen calendar is the source of all knowledge: if it's not in the calendar, then it's not happening.

Like most soccer fans, I have enjoyed playing the FIFA game franchise for the past several years. The game has made many improvements over the years in hopes to bring fans a real life game experience. There has been much ...
This is a content summary. Visit http://www.epltalk.com to read the entire article

Jonathan Wilson's biography about legendary football manager Brian Clough manages to combine the two best attributes by which a book should be judged: how it teaches things you never knew, and how spellbinding it was. Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says...
This is a content summary. Visit http://www.

Have you been wanting to take your managerial chops mobile? Sega has just finally released Football Manager Handheld 2012 for the iPad. This will be a brief first look of the game itself as I have only played it for ...
This is a content summary. Visit http://www.epltalk.com to read the entire article

What a year 2011 was for Football! We have had fireworks, management fallouts, enthralling top-of-the-table encounters, relegation scraps and transfer embargos to drive any football fan round the twist. So without wetting your appetite any further, here is In The Stands' top ten football moments of 2011.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has won the Philips Manager of the Year award after guiding the national side to their first major championship finals in 10 years.
The Italian was in competition with Dublin football manager Pat Gilroy, who led the capital side to their first All-Ireland title in 16 years, Brian Cody, who lifted the Liam McCarthy trophy with Kilkenny, and Leinster's Heineken Cup-winning coach Joe Schmidt.

By Chris Wright

Ricardo Quaresma. He's just one of those players isn't he? A never-quite-living-up-to-the-hype/ego, cripplingly inconsistent walking, talking Youtube highlights reel of a footballer whose stats will always be slightly too good on FIFA/Pro Evo/Football Manager, etc for some reason.

By Chris Wright

Ricardo Quaresma. He's just one of those players isn't he? A never-quite-living-up-to-the-hype/ego, cripplingly inconsistent walking, talking Youtube highlights reel of a footballer whose stats will always be slightly too good on FIFA/Pro Evo/Football Manager, etc for some reason.

Football manager coats: a celebration, including Dalglish, Fergie, Redknapp, Villas-Boas and more

Click the arrows to see a gallery of the best and worst football manager coats from down the years

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-11-30 14:38:40 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Gary Speed's last ever television appearance was as a guest on BBC 1s popular Football Focus programme on Saturday 26, November, 2011 with host Dan Walker. The late Wales boss was found dead at his house on Sunday morning with police deeming the cause of death as suicide. Shocked friends, relatives, players and anybody who [.

Cant say much else R.I.P.

Welsh manager Gary Speed was found dead at his home in Chester on Sunday morning in an apparent suicide leaving a black mark for Welsh football. Police were called to the former Everton, Bolton, Newcastle and Sheffield United ace's house in Chester on Sunday morning with news of his death emerging soon after.

Joga Bonito A video showing Brazilian star Ronaldinho, erm, working on his solo skills has been leaked. The footage of the ex-Barcelona star and his laptop enjoying some alone time in the bathroom were posted on YouTube and, although the original video has since been removed, has now spread around the internet.

Former Chelsea and Spurs player, who is currently the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, Gus Poyet, has launched a remarkable attack on Patrice Evra, who the FA believe is the victim of racial abuse.

This week, Luis Suarez was charged with verbally abusing Evra during the recent game between United and Liverpool.

INT – ARSENE WENGER'S OFFICE. ARSENAL TRAINING GROUND. THE PHONE RINGS. WE HEAR A VOICE ON THE OTHER END.

"Hello Arsene."

"Who is this?"

"It's Jose."

"Jose Feliciano, the Puerto Rican singer and virtuoso guitarist?"

"No, silly. It's Jose Mourinho, World's greatest football manager and ridiculously attractive man.

By Alan Duffy

There has always been an alleged whiff of alleged dodginess allegedly surrounding the alleged football manager Harry Redknapp. Well now the man touted as the next England boss will be facing actual charges in an actual courtroom rather than flimsy rumour and speculation.

England is a great place for football. Yes, we all know that and their domestic structure is all too awesome, that's why we love it. But, internationally the English team and its players look nothing like their premier league avatar, instead they look like a bunch of boys in tutus who play Sunday morning football.

So, we have been playing Football Manager 2012 for a month now and these are the five player who have stood out for us...enjoy. Sime Vrsaljko (RB/ RWB) from Dinamo Purchace for around 1 million Perhaps the best right back on Football Manager 11 who is just as good on Football Manager 12. He reminds [.

So, we have been playing Football Manager 2012 for a month now and these are the five player who have stood out for us...enjoy. Sime Vrsaljko (RB/ RWB) from Dinamo Purchace for around 1 million Perhaps the best right back on Football Manager 11 who is just as good on Football Manager 12. He reminds [.

The Greatest Football Manager Ever revealed: Fergie, Mourinho and Paisley battle it out!

talkSPORT reveals the Top 10 football managers ever, as voted by talkSPORT fans

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-11-04 16:02:10 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Mac the Life
Lizzy Ammon caught up with journalist, Football Manager addict and Southend United fan Iain Macintosh.
LA: Hi Macca, thanks for taking time away from playing Football Manager to talk to us. This might prove to be one of the most testing interviews you've ever done in your life.

I'll begin with a caveat. I'm not a gamer. Not anymore, at least. My one remaining vice in the genre is the Football Manager (née Championship Manager) series, which I shuffle up to the till to purchase every year, a process that has grown increasingly frictionless. Given such a limited gaming habit and the fact that I'm on a Mac, I've never had any use for Steam and have always bought a physical copy of the game.

I'll begin with a caveat. I'm not a gamer. Not anymore, at least. My one remaining vice in the genre is the Football Manager (née Championship Manager) series, which I shuffle up to the till to purchase every year, a process that has grown increasingly frictionless. Given such a limited gaming habit and the fact that I'm on a Mac, I've never had any use for Steam and have always bought a physical copy of the game.