1 Hard Times on the Thames
Manchester United is a very good club. This season, they've tossed aside inferior opponents with
a startling ease. Despite that, there's no reason Fulham should've lost to them 5-nil at home
yesterday. The South London club looked completely unprepared to deal with the likes of Danny
Welbeck, Nani and Wayne Rooney.
Chris McClintick returns (Are you getting college credit for these features yet,
Chris?) to TSG with a feature on Borussia Mönchengladbach (or as we
affectionately call them around here "Bo'Munchen) minus one Michael Bradley.
Favre's Foals.
Best XI: Under-21 European Championship Team of the Tournament 2011 is a post from: Just
Football
As is custom, Just Football kept a keen eye on proceedings out in
Denmark at the 2011 Under-21 European Championships. We put together a list of
players to watch beforehand; now without further ado we present to you our Team of the
Tournament.
A crazy second half at Jeld-Wen Field Sunday night delivers a point to NY, and Dave & Mark talk
about the great escape. Next up is a super chat with New York's former #60 Jeff Parke, and as
always, your emails. CSRN MEDIA PLAYER
Swansea City stand firm as an example of how much the fortunes of a football club can change in
the space of just a decade. They had been promoted from Division Three (now League Two) at the end
of the 1999/2000 season, but tumbled straight back down into it a year later, and this was only the
beginning of their problems.
Four years ago, United were in a similar situation as they were in yesterday, with the Premier
League title already secured heading into the final day of the season and a visiting opponent
facing the drop.
On that occasion, West Ham came to Old Trafford needing at least a point to escape relegation,
and thanks to Carlos Tevez's goal right before halftime, the Hammers received the result they
needed and then some.
By IAN HOLLIDAY
The last time Lille won the French top flight, the European Cup didn't exist yet. Now, after 57
years, the club will enter the UEFA Champions League as French champions for the first time in its
history.
Lille entered the weekend needing only a point from its match at Paris St.
By IAN HOLLIDAY
The last time Lille won the French top flight, the European Cup didn't exist yet. Now, after 57
years, the club will enter the UEFA Champions League as French champions for the first time in its
history.
Lille entered the weekend needing only a point from its match at Paris St.
As far as 0-0 draws go, this would have been one of the better ones. It turned out to be one of
the better 1-0 victories, thanks to an injury time winner by Mönchengladbach's Igor de Camargo. A
goal not without a bit of controversy as it was scored during Fergie time 14 seconds into the third
minute of two minutes of extra time.
Weekend Six Pack Liverpool rampant, Wigan to start their great escape is a post from: Just
Football
Each week Rob Hartnett from 188BET.com will bring you six of the best football betting
opportunities from the weekend action. Rob is the public face of the leading In Play betting
specialists and appears regularly on the Bolton, Wigan, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Everton
websites doing betting previews.
After Mark Clattenberg's late penalty award on Saturday, I wondered about referees and their
impact on games. How great an impact do they have? Are some swayed by the home crowd? Do
others have subsconscious propensities to favour underdogs? That sort of thing. I don't know
that these questions can really be answered, but the following culled from football-data.
Quick trivia question: who's the leading free-kick goal scoring team in the EPL?
Give up? Wigan.
Buried in a thread in FOF about substitutions was TonyGilroy's observation that free kick goals
are down this year. Well, he's correct. According to the treasure trove football-lineups.
By Ollie Irish
You have a woman's touch, Lord Berba...
A typically elegant piece of tekkers by Dimitar Berbatov, as spotted last night during Man Utd's
great escape at Blackpool; Berba is the artist to Rooney's artisan. It's a triffic blend for
United.
"The most difficult challenge of my life". That was how Dougie Freedman
described the task facing him after Crystal Palace's latest heavy away defeat at Swansea which kept
his beloved Eagles deep in the relegation mire. The 36-year-old is a legend in these parts of South
London but there is no denying the uphill battle ahead for the Scotsman in what is sure to be a
challenging introduction into football management.
The departure of Owen Coyle 12 months ago has so far proved to be too big an obstacle for
Burnley to recover from. Since the Scot left for the bright lights of Bolton, the club has slipped
from its short-lived stint among the country's elite and back into the Championship, and an
underwhelming first half of this season led to Coyle's successor, Brian Laws, being relieved of his
duties.
One facet of this season I've found to be a bit peculiar is the seeming lack of narrative.
Usually by this point in the season the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.
For me, last year was all about Europe. The year before, we watched and wondered about what Roy
could do with his first full season at the helm.
