As a result of their dramatic 2-0 win on Saturday (the crucial second goal was scored in injury time), Egypt will meet Algeria for a third time on Wednesday in Sudan: whoever wins goes to South Africa. To describe this game as 'a local rivalry' is an understatement: the Algerian team bus was attacked at the weekend and both sides ending up blaming each other the Algerians blamed Egyptians who had been wound up by satellite TV broadcasts (insert Fox News joke here), the Egyptians claimed that it was arranged by local Algerians to make them look bad.

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Hello again. First things first, I apologize if you've been checking in and find that there's no new post or update on the blog (Who am I kidding?, I wonder how many do actually follow my postings?) But if you have, then the only reason I can give is that there is really nothing to update. The international break is really sucking the life out of football bloggers.

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Book Review: The Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout by Simon Hughes
Now this is an intriguing book. Whilst most of the key architects of Liverpools's lasting success over the four decades after Bill Shankly took over avtively shunned publicity, most were still pushed into the limelight. Click to continue reading...

It doesn't take a genius to work out that Man Utd are not the team they were last year with the only loss to the team being Cristiano Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney has been given much more of free role and is playing better than he ever has but he can't do it alone. Just like Ronaldo needed Rooney in the team Rooney, needs a Ronaldo and Antonio Valencia just isn't it. Click to continue reading...

So Carlo Ancelotti has called him "A Genius!" and the more I think about it, Joe Cole could be our key to success as we look to do well on all fronts this season!. Its been a long hard battle for Joe Cole since his injury away at Southend. A long road to recovery, but he has worked hard, kept himself in good nick and he more than anyone is hungry for first team football. Click to continue reading...

Everyone's sure to be happy with last night's result – we know we are. The boys came out to win and they did it, attacking well from the very beginning, with Pedro being surprisingly awesome. Pep was resting several starters for this match, with Xavi, Messi, Dani, Iniesta, Bojan, and Pinto on the bench. Click to continue reading...

A curious one, this. Back in the days of yore, when Luka Modric limped off against Birmingham, I don't think anyone foresaw things panning out quite this way. Robbie Keane undroppable, wingers treated like lepers, long-ball upon long-ball. We're muddling through, but the sooner both� the Croatian genius and Lennon return, the better.

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The same way the U20 World Cup generated some analysis, the failure of the U17 deserves even more talk. First of all, being eliminated in group that had Mexico, Switzerland and Japan is a shame. There is simply no excuse.

This pathetic elimination was so bad that no projections for the future can be made.

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I don't know how I hadn't seen this before but a little bit of web-surfing awaiting news of whether Wayne Rooney is a Dad yet brought me to this video. It's a touch of genius! Obviously heavily edited but it's as funny as fcuk! For more like this one check out talkSPORTmagazine for even more like [. Click to continue reading...

Guardian Headline: Phil Brown has insisted that his players are "a million per cent" behind him despite speculation mounting that his job as Hull City's manager is under threat.
Yes, of course the players are a million percent behind me; even though the media wants to drop an H-Bomb right over Kingston-upon-Hull, my players know that I am the greatest manager who has ever lived. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal face Liverpool tonight in the Carling Cup, a competition that Wenger has religiously used to give reserves, youth players and first team squad players a run-out. � We have had some success over the years, reaching one final and three semi-finals, so the policy has its merits. � I would like Wenger to take the competition a little more seriously and start to use more experienced players the closer got to the final.

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You can never accuse Mike Ashley of� having ever understood the soul of Newcastle United. Ashley - makes Stan Laurel look a genius And the statement made yesterday by the club sounded as if Mike Ashley was the hero who was staying at Newcastle to save the club. What a joke he's the one who is [. Click to continue reading...

Genius layoff by Riquelme to the on fire Palmero. Click to continue reading...

Strange stuff Strange stuff
So, I found this bizarre moment from the J-League over on the Guardian's website. It shows Grampus Eight Manager Dragan Stojkavic "scoring" a great goal as he half-volleyed a rolling ball into the net from in front of his bench. Click to continue reading...

So Carlo Ancelotti has called him "A Genius!" and the more I think about it, Joe Cole could be our key to success as we look to do well on all fronts this season!. Its been a long hard battle for Joe Cole since his injury away at Southend. A long road to recovery, but he has worked hard, kept himself in good nick and he more than anyone is hungry for first team football. Click to continue reading...

So Carlo Ancelotti has called him "A Genius!" and the more I think about it, Joe Cole could be our key to success as we look to do well on all fronts this season!. Its been a long hard battle for Joe Cole since his injury away at Southend. A long road to recovery, but he has worked hard, kept himself in good nick and he more than anyone is hungry for first team football. Click to continue reading...

Boro announce Southgate's successor days after everyone already knew about it! Expect post match interviews at the Riverside to be far more fun from now on.

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Middlesbrough have appointed Gordon Strachan as their new manager.

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Yet another advert hot off the Nike production line and this one has Cesc Fabregas advertising the new CTR360 Maestri boots.

It's genius in my opinion as it shows Cesc being the midfield maestro that he is, but in a Bond Villain-esque way. The boots are apparently not bad either as my captain (and centre half) has said that he's tempted to get rid of all his shoes and just wear these boots, as they are the most comfortable shoes he's had.

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Book Review: Genius Does as it Must - Liverpool FC Banners Compiled by Chris McLoughlin and Adam Oldfield
When people talk about the atmosphere at Anfield, particularly on a European night, they often refer to the singing and the raw emotion that there is in the ground. Too often, they fail to pick up on an important element that distinguishes Liverpool fans from many of their English counterparts: the banners that adorn the stands. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal are fantastic right now. Simply brilliant. Wonderful play. Fast and thrilling, even when they lose. Perfect passing. Crisp finishes. Superb combination play. You get the picture.

Okay, please do not kill me on this post. I am neither a fortune teller, palm reader, love guru, snake charmer, nor am I a genius.

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That is according to today's 'Gold Coast Weekend Bulletin' where the 'glamor' club is back page news. But not promoting tomorrow's game. It is Jason Culina complaining about his club's poor job at attracting crowds.
Funny that, some of Brisbane's leading journalists praised Miron's non-attendance and refusal to promote the opening game of the season as an act of marketing genius - by attracting interest to the game(? Click to continue reading...

International Week 0-0 Excitement

Interminable, isn't it? Though it's not like our players are all sitting at home twiddling on their Wiis we've got 20 away on international duty. Am I being a cynic to suggest that the chances of all 20 of those players coming back uninjured is practically nil?

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Cheer Up Alan Shearer's Top 10 TV Football Moments
3. Ilunga Mwepu
No disrespect to the intelligent, knowledgeable CUAS readership here, but I bet there's hardly any of you who know who Ilunga Mwepu is.
In the 1970s he played his club football for TP Mazembe and he now lives in Malta, where he is an assistant coach in the Adelaide Cini Championship with Girgenti Athletic. Click to continue reading...

For years now people have been asking why in the world MLS farmed out their online operations, including mlsnet.com and most individual team sites to Major League Baseball Advanced Media, a subsidiary of, (obviously) Major League baseball.
Although I've never heard anyone go into detail, it doesn't take a genius to figure that it had to do with money, ie. Click to continue reading...

What words do we need to describe the genius that is Cesc Fabregas and for the first time on Saturday, he seemed to be enjoying his football, and I do believe him now when he says that he wants to stay. Why? well the lure of the catalans is great, but at Barcelona, he would be one addition to the rank of mega personas that the Spanish giants feel necessary to accumulate.

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What words do we need to describe the genius that is Cesc Fabregas and for the first time on Saturday, he seemed to be enjoying his football, and I do believe him now when he says that he wants to stay. Why? well the lure of the catalans is great, but at Barcelona, he would be one addition to the rank of mega personas that the Spanish giants feel necessary to accumulate.

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First of all, sorry about last night and not having anything to discuss here. I honestly wasn't feeling it and furthermore just wanted to relax and watch some of the games that were on. But I am back tonight with a couple interesting items.

The first got me really thinking. Steve Davis, the Dallas writing genius that he is posted this little diddy about the best stadiums in the league 2010 style.

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Back in my prime, there was one method of scoring I never mastered, the heel-flick. I pulled the move off in training many times, but in matches I made a fool of myself by whiffing on multiple occassions. I really want to score on a heel flick in a meaningful match because it's just so cool.

This week in the Champions League, three goals were scored on heel flicks.

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Today, Arsene Wenger becomes the longest-serving manager in the club's history surpassing the legendary George Allison on his 4,749th day as manager of the Arsenal. It is, then, a suitable occasion for a bit of retrospection and maybe even a bit of sentimentalism and nostalgia as well.

Having started following the club in the late-90s, I have never known an Arsenal side that was not managed by Arsene Wenger.

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If you don't read Tales from Gillespie Road, you'll probably have no idea how we ended up with this DVD. Then again, if you know anything about the Spuds it might be self-evident.

I could have made it 'grungier' but then I'd have starved to death...you get the idea, that should be enough :)

With thanks to RocktheCasbah for starting the whole Zombie theme off, and to Gunning4the_Title for the title and tagline.

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He is without doubt one of the premier strikers in the world. Full of aggression and skill. Power and finesse. A little genius Scouse boy, with all the natural ability in the world. And we all forget that he is the tender age of 23 This week 'Our Wazza' has decided he needs to think about the [...] Click to continue reading...

Welcome to another instalment of Thank Gooner it's Friday... where FTK gives his assessment of news and views that have impacted on Planet Gooner. This week appears less provocative than usual, but I'm sure that my ability to create controversy where none exists will change that. The week started with a 4 nil thrashing of Wigan with the prospect of extending our goal difference even more tomorrow with our trip to Fulham.

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This just explains it all ..what it felt like in the stadium in those closing few seconds..brilliant this fan had his camera running You can hear the crowds collective breath being held as Giggsyboy slides the ball through to Ow7n. Just genius. Also gives you a pretty good birdseye view of the Bellamy fan altercation. Click to continue reading...

This just explains it all ..what it felt like in the stadium in those closing few seconds..brilliant this fan had his camera running You can hear the crowds collective breath being held as Giggsyboy slides the ball through to Ow7n. Just genius. Also gives you a pretty good birdseye view of the Bellamy fan altercation. Click to continue reading...

The majestic awesomeness of the Champions League theme song is something we have all long been aware of, but AC Milan have gone beyond mere appreciation and actually had the genius stroke to harness its untold powers to help them in their domestic campaign.

Having realized that their form in their Champions League has often been better than their form in Serie A in recent years, the club's vice president Adriano Galliani decided to have the team listen to the song before Sunday's game against Bologna.

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