I opened up my preview for this match with the following paragraph:

Back in action at the Stadium of Light tomorrow, for what I expect to be a very tricky match. Seriously–this match scares the hell out of me. For one thing, it's a road match against a top half side with a very good home record–those matches are always tough, no matter what.

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First off, thanks to Shatz for asking me to fill in for a minute around these parts, and thanks to Twitter (Follow me @the_amt!) for bringing fans and bloggers together. Cue the cheesy wink.

Since Shatz asked me to guest-blog last week, I've been trying to think of a topic to cover, but most of them just caused me mental and/or emotional pain.

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As the world of football continues to mourn the suicide of German goalkeeper Robert Enke on Tuesday and the crippling depression that led to it, mentally challenged French national team manager Raymond Domenech had this to say in his Friday press conference:

"People can say what they want, when they want.

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The official Ligue 1 website is proclaiming Sunday's 10 goal thriller between Lyon and Marseille to be "The Game of the Century!" and while that statement is weighed by a tremendous amount of hyperbole, they may not be completely off base. Though the game ended without a true winner at 5-5, insanity prevailed in a number of ways that can hardly be conveyed in a short clip of just the goals, so revel in the extended highlights included above (for now, at least).

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The rise of La Liga and its increasing appeal to foreign players can be attributed to more than just Real Madrid spending money like a teenage girl with a trust fund. Everyone agrees that the "Beckham Law", which allows footballers to pay almost half the taxes that normal people do, has been a big draw, especially as the tax rate has risen in the UK.

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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...

Hyperbole to be sure, but still...ouch! You'd be forgiven for being miserable if you were a USA and DC United fan poking about in assorted RSS streams and illegal internet feeds yesterday. To recap... Snatched Away! In simultaneous games, United... 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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Pepe's Portuguese picks Scientists to investigate rift in Old Trafford time continuum [NewsArse] Top 10 controversial celebrations [FourFourTwo] Hyperbole of the day [TribalFootball] Craig Bellamy's wall of shame [MirrorFootball] Daniel De Rossi finds an unexpected lover [YouTube]

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Peter C over at the hyperbole-tastic MLS Talk wants to see an annual player wage increase of $19-$48 million in the next MLS collective bargaining agreement. While I give Mr. C credit for being aware of the maths, I still think those numbers are too high.
He's also got a bunch of other proposals, like adding in the second designated player slot per team, unlimited funds to youth development, minimum (guaranteed? Click to continue reading...

A war of words that led to a return to form.

Anderson came in for some short shrift from Sir Alex a week or two ago when the young Brazilian expressed his dissatisfaction at not starting enough games and it was an act that may in the long run have helped the talented midfielder to make a name for himself at Old Trafford.

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Your dose of Becks related hyperbole Among the first things I read yesterday morning were a few reports of David Beckham viciously grabbing FC Dallas' David Hernandez by the neck to protect team-mate Landon Donovan. Sounded interesting. Footage was a bit thin on the ground at the time but it has now been tracked down by [. Click to continue reading...

Cheer Up Alan Shearer's Top 10 TV Football Moments
8. "A Match Already Being Described As 'On This Sunday'"
It would be fair to say that Sky Sports are prone to a little bit of over-enthusiasm about their range of live football. Their 'Grand Slam Sunday' was my particular favourite, considering football doesn't have a 'grand slam' and that whoever triumphed in such an event would have to presumably win four matches in different parts of the world at different times of the year. Click to continue reading...

by CARL ELDRIDGE Nothing much about Arsenal in the papers this morning. Oh, wait a minute...there are a few mentions here and there about Emmanuel Adebayor. Hold on, there's more. Blimey, I am being swamped. Virtually the entire print run of every national newspaper carries the words 'Adebayor, fans, rake, Van Persie, six-match ban, storm, steward, knocked-out, shame, coins, obscene chants, Fabregas, stamp, FA probe' not in that particular order, you understand.

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1. Fabio Capello. The single most important factor in England's rise. A Croatian journalist whose name I didn't catch said Capello has stopped England playing like England, which summarises perfectly. Gone has the fear, the indiscipline, and the indecision, replaced with organisation, discipline, and tactical nous.

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August has been a fairly enjoyable month on reflection. Those who predicted a season opening of toil, tribulation and all round depression put your hands up now. I admit it; my hand is firmly in the air. Honest.
Whichever way you slice it, four wins out of four is a bloody brilliant way to begin a league campaign. Click to continue reading...

I'm not one for sporting hyperbole. I find it raises people's hopes unneccessarily and makes people look rather stupid. But tonight, Jake Livermore, in what surely must be one of his greatest ever days, grabbed an equaliser for Spurs against Barcelona in the Wembley Cup as we gained a 1-1 draw.
Today, Livermore has managed to sign a new deal at the club, keeping him here until 2011, play at Wembley Stadium against the European Champions and score the equaliser with his first touch, placing him momentarilly in the hearts of Spurs fans up and down the land. Click to continue reading...