It took barely three weeks for the blue sky thinking to start again in 2012, but this time the idea came from one of the more unlikely of available sources. In an interview with The Guardian, Andres Villa Boas has stated an opinion that Chelsea should be allowed to field a 'B' team in the Championship.

Still sitting in third place behind the two Manchester sides, who are leading the table, Tottenham Hotspurs are feeling that they have a legitimate shot in competing for the title challenge but in order to make things easier they need something more.

According to the Lilywhites' manager, Harry Redknapp, it would be much better for his team if they can grab a big name signing this January, as that superstar can lift the team's performance into the same level as the two Manchester teams.

Mike Marsh says he has no worries about his side's ability to bounce back from their disappointing FA Youth Cup exit.
The Reds Under-18s were much-fancied for this season's competition, but fell at the first hurdle as they were beaten 3-1 by Swansea City last week.
Marsh admits he was left frustrated by his side's early exit, but says there is plenty to look forward to from the Reds' next generation.

It's fair to say David Luiz is an entertaining kid, on and, most definitely, off the pitch. If you're not following his Twitter account, you are doing yourself an extreme disservice. The Brazilian let all his followers know yesterday that he was prepping to take his English test on Friday.

About 11 hours ago, Bob let us know that he had passed his test with flying colors.

Tweet my Goal does TOWIE! The best gags from United and City's night of Champions League misery

It was the worst night for Manchester since Oasis released Be Here Now as both clubs fell at the first Champions League hurdle. Here's how it unfolded on our @MirrorFootball feed :

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-07 22:36:21 from: The Mirror

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

The Philadelphia Union have been linked to Michael Thurk again, this time with the team being listed as one of the German's two front runners for his services. Thurk's agent, Klaus Gerster, said that Thurk will make a decision this week, with both the Union and fellow MLS team the Vancouver Whitecaps as the forward's favored destinations.

Bundesliga blog: Has Huntelaar finally found his home at Schalke?

Welcome to our new German football blog, courtesy of BundesligaFussball's Ross Dunbar *** As time goes on, there is a large burden hanging over the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen with Schalke yet to clinch a Bundesliga title since 1963.

Nicky B. Basic, but perfectly functional. Gareth Copley/Getty Images.

Oh, the good old facepalm. So versatile, it's available in individual or multi-user varieties and the more up-to-date versions are equipped to convey a spectrum of emotions not just embarrassment when you make a heinous and very public error in your work-day.

By Chris Wright

Chelsea will wade into their final group stage game against Valencia in a fortnight's time needing a win or a goalless draw (because the Spaniards thrashed Genk 7-0) at Stamford Bridge to avoid being farted from the Champions League at the first hurdle ('knocked out' in technical terms) after being pipped at the death by Bayer Leverkusen in Germany last night.

This weekend, the FA Cup reached its final qualifying round and the introduction of the clubs of the Blue Square Premier adds a little extra spice to the competition as well. Everybody that took to the pitch in this competition at the weekend went into their match knowing that a live appearance on ITV and a sizeable pay day could well be on the cards if they could just get over this hurdle, and this evening we have four matches from this round of the competition.

Video: Stoke City 0 Liverpool 8 in the League Cup

Stoke represent a real hurdle to Liverpool's League Cup hopes in 2011, but it was a little different in 2000

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-10-26 13:10:29 from: Talksport

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

(Graphic courtesy Angel City Brigade member Mike Gray)

The warm-up to today's Galaxy-Chivas USA main event (live at 6 p.m. on ESPN) ended in a 1-0 win last night for the Chivas USA supporters group due to a defensive error, I'm told.

Who knows whether that portends anything when it comes to today's almost sold out derby, which in one respect doesn't mean a thing.

That was that then.
A blessing, perhaps, that our agony wasn't prolonged. As Spain attempted to pass Scotland to death in Alicante, Czech Republic had already gone ahead in Lithuania.
When David Silva scored Spain's opener inside six minutes the game was up.
Not the agony of past failures when Scotland have teased us into believing before tripping over their own inadequacies at the final hurdle.

As you all know, Chelsea Football Club has put forward a proposal to Chelsea Pitch Owners to buy back the freehold to the land in a major move announced yesterday.
Snippets of the official statement released on the website explaining the move are as follows:

Chelsea Football Club today (Monday) made a proposal to buy back the freehold land on which the football stadium at Stamford Bridge sits.

Ah, would you just look at THAT! If it isn't Chelsea's resident Spaniards in Valencia wearing Los Che's traditional colours, Orange! You can't get any cheesier than that in a strangely endearing way, of course. Anyway, Juan Mata is all set to face his former side tonight when Valencia host Chelsea at the Mestalla.

The Carling Cup has given us some of our best memories as fans over the last 12 years. Having won the trophy in 1999 and 2008 and having reached the final on two other occasions, this represented our best chance of a trophy for many years.

Last night we went out at what was for Spurs the first hurdle for the second year in a row and although this was a stronger side than the one that took on PAOK last week, it was still weaker on paper than our opponents.

Chelsea begin play in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge.

It's round three, and we open with a West London derby against Fulham. Second-rate competition against second-rate competition, eh? Not so much.

Will not play

It would make sense for Andre Villas-Boas to make this competition a priority, similar to the way another Portugese did in his first season with the club.

Liverpool stumbled over a familiar hurdle at the Britannia Stadium as they slipped to their first defeat of the season.
In four visits to Stoke since the Potters earned promotion to the Barclays Premier League, the Reds have collected just two points and lost their last two matches.
Not since 1968 have Stoke recorded back-to-back home league wins over Liverpool and the result brought a side brimming with confidence before the international break back down to earth with a hefty bump.

Football Spy video: Transfer Deadline Day roundup

The summer transfer window slammed shut at 11pm on Wednesday night. Some last minute deals were done, others failed at the final hurdle. Did your club sign that key player before the window ended? Who were the winners and losers and who ended up where?

Things are never as bad as they seem. In 1882 The Sporting Times declared English cricket dead.
Right now England are the number one team in the world, holders of The Ashes that once symbolised their demise.
Sport has peaks and sport has troughs.
But this was a grim night for Scottish football.

Players from Carolina Railhawks and Montreal ImpactThe Price Is Right Host Drew Carey must have felt the pricetag for the Seattle Sounders was close enough without going over, as he partnered up and ponied up to lead that franchise to MLS and beyond. But, would he do the same for an NASL franchise, in other words, are there more big pocket spenders out there ready to take a chance on the NASL?

Alejandro Bedoya is a big step closer to teaming with Maurice Edu at Rangers.

Bedoya was granted his work permit on Friday, giving the clearance for him to join the Scottish club. While Rangers and the U.S. international midfielder agreed on a pre-contract deal to bring him from Orebro in January, Rangers manager Ally McCoist wants to speed up the process now that the biggest hurdle has been cleared.

Have you ever had a live bat supersonic its way millimetres from your ear in the dead of night? I am not a boy easily prone to fear, I have sat through many-a defensive set-piece with mouth set and hand steady, but hearing a creepy chirrup and a sudden beating of wings next to my earlobe as I was peacefully taking a whizz in my college lavatory scared the bejesus out of me.

Have you ever had a live bat supersonic its way millimetres from your ear in the dead of night? I am not a boy easily prone to fear, I have sat through many-a defensive set-piece with mouth set and hand steady, but hearing a creepy chirrup and a sudden beating of wings next to my earlobe as I was peacefully taking a whizz in my college lavatory scared the bejesus out of me.

Arsenal's unbeaten pre-season record fell at the final hurdle when they went down 2-1 to Benfica on Saturday night, reports Arsenal.com. The visitors had one hand on the Eusebio Cup at half-time. Arsène Wenger's side had started slowly but cruised into the break thanks to Robin van Persie's clinical strike a late present on his 28th birthday.

By Chris Wright

Rangers dive-bombed out of the Champions League at the first hurdle last night, drawing 1-1 against Malmo at the Swedbank Arena, thus failing to reverse the 1-0 home defeat inflicted upon them by the Swedes at Ibrox last week.

The ill-tempered affair saw Gers end the game with nine men after having both Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra pick up straight reds for 'hoying the ball around willy-nilly' and 'planting elbows in craniums' respectively.

Pretty sweet cover, right? It is "Don Diego en su biblioteca Diego Maradona in his personal library." Why? Because we all know that Diego counts reading among his famously favorite hobbies. That's why. Obvio.

But details briefly aside, the ebook is now available! For only $5.

With Danny half way up a mountain, the publishing tasks have been given to our office junior. So any diversion from our normal style is all down to him and he will be sacked on Danny's return. Mark Pitman reports from The Gnoll as Neath fall at their first European hurdle against Kjetil Rekdal's Aalesund FK.

The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup reaches its knockout stage this weekend with two potential classic match-ups standing out from the rest of the draw.

Group D winners Brazil, arguably the best team never to won this tournament to date, will face-off against two-time winners United States who finished second in Group C behind Sweden.

The talk today is all about ratings with Fox Soccer issuing a self congratulatory press release because of its outstanding ratings from the Gold Cup Final. The FSC broadcast reached more than 950,000 viewers, crushing the previous FSC record set during the last Gold Cup Final. The Nielsen rating for the match was a solid 1.

Houston Dynamo trialing Ecuadorian forward Miller Castillo [MLS Soccer]

Canetti pointed to the scout's recommendation that Castillo is a forward who's speedy - something the Dynamo covet - but who will be able to withstand the physical tolls that come with playing in MLS. That's a hurdle many international players struggle to deal with upon arriving in the US.

Santos From Pele to Neymar on the road to immortality is a post from: Just Football

by Gordon Fleetwood

It has been a long road for Santos this year in the Copa Libertadores. This was Santos' first campaign since 2008, when they exited at the quarter final stage.

Excuse the extended absence, but my internet service conveniently decided to start having some technical difficulties on Saturday morning.

Alas, that proved to be the start of what was a forgettable day, to say the least.

I wish it wasn't so, and it's not exactly easy to think about or write about, but sometimes you just have to see things for what they are.

Goal.com has that Real Madrid and Benfica have agreed on a fee for Coentrao. The only hurdle so to say is now the contract between Real Madrid and Fabio Coentrao. This has never been a problem at Real Madrid so if the reports are to be believed then we, the Real Madrid fans, have got [...]

After Cardiff City's exit against Reading in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs, Dave Jones has been sacked as manager. Jones spent six years at Cardiff, leading them to the 2010 play-off final where they were defeated by Blackpool. The Liverpudlian has paid the ultimate sacrifice for his side's inability to get over the final hurdle and get promotion to the Premiership.

May 28th will start off like most days in May. The Sun smiling genially over all of London as people go about their daily grind; their usual frowns perhaps slightly lessened owing to spring being at her peak. The same Sun all fiery-eyed and rampaging over New Delhi, the frequency of frowns here increased tenfold due to the merciless summer.

There is plenty to say about sports in New England. Intimacy isn't necessarily what first comes to mind. Not as much as, say, titles, playoffs, trophies, and the like. With six states sharing one professional sports team for each of the top-tier sports, it can be a challenge to stand by your team through the entirety of its season.

Real Madrid and Chivas de Guadalajara will meet at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on July 20 as part of this summer's World Football Challenge, tournament organizers announced on Wednesday. Madrid is already slated to play the Los Angeles Galaxy in a WFC match at the L.A. Coliseum on July 16.

Morning to you. I hope this finds you in fine fettle and ready for the football that lies ahead.

It's Stoke, of course. They don't like us, we don't like them, and there's the added spice of Ramsey's return to the ground where Lennie oafishly snapped his leg in two. Hopefully, after today, that will be consigned to history and no more will need to be said about it.

No flying wing in sight, but this is no doubt going to be a back-alley fight. Prepare for a scrap, people.

As you can see above, there are ways to rattle Nemanja Vidic. Bite that motherfucker.

Who: Manchester United
What: Premier League, Round 37
When: 8 May, 4pm local time (11am EST)
Where: Old Trafford (75,957)
How: Fox Soccer Channel (DirecTV 619, Dish 149)

Why: Why the hell not?