A week's worth of anonymous internet polling have left us here, with two candidates remaining in the Next Coach Cup. Both have had relatively smooth paths to the final, though you've got to wonder if the combination of ABMOD and Benny's fragile... Click to continue reading...

The quarterfinals are in the books. Twenty-eight candidates have been eliminated, leaving us with just four survivors to compete for the prestigious DC United Next Coach Cup. Let's not pull an FO dithering and hemming-and-hawing extravaganza, shall... Click to continue reading...

The Round of 16 is in the books, and more highly-regarded names have fallen by the wayside. I'll weave in the recap of the last round as we set the stage for the next. Voting for the quarterfinal round ends Wednesday night, so get your votes in now,... Click to continue reading...

On this day 23 years ago, a certain Alexander Chapman Ferguson was appointed as the manager at Manchester United. Today Sir Alex is the most decorated manager in British football history.

His tactical genius, inspirational personality and tremendous focus have put him in a league above others.

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Time to kick off the DC United Next Coach Cup with the group stages. In true, bloated, FIFA money-grubbing fashion, we're going straight for the 32-name jugular. Some of these are serious candidates, others are waaaaaay out of left field or half in... Click to continue reading...

Okay, rather than that staid old, winner-take-all "next coach" poll that the Goffster is running, I'm going to run a tournament-poll competition in honor of our beloved MLS Cup playoffs. So take a look at the names that Goff has listed and toss out... Click to continue reading...

It was beginning to look like, given the hemming and the hawing, the insults to league and to fans, followed by furious backpedalling, that Kevin Payne was going to drop the ball and hand Tommy the keys to season #4. But then a curious thing... Click to continue reading...

They Think It's All Over... believes football's 'Silly Season' has arrived, and makes his predictions as to who will be it's first managerial casualty. Click to continue reading...

Sir Alex Ferguson is assured legendary status in football and his achievements have been recognised by football fans worldwide - even those that prefer spending their days playing Football Manager than playing football.

Ferguson topped a poll carried out by Sports Interactive (makers Football Manager 2010) with 26 per cent of the vote.

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As everyone knows by now, Roberto Donadoni was relieved of his duties as Napoli manager and was replaced by former Sampdoria boss Walter Mazzarri. We can't deny that Donadoni was one of the greatest wingers Italian football has ever produced. But his managerial career so far? Not great. We really don't know where Donadoni is at as a manager or if he will ever improve.

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Just a couple of things on my mind today, so... U-20's Bounce Back The USA U20's recovered from dropping their opener in the U-20 World Cup, a 3-0 loss to Germany, by routing Cameroon 4-1. Of course, the final score was terribly flattering to... Click to continue reading...

I've been quietly impressed with Carlo Ancelotti since he began managing Chelsea. He has a quiet, unassuming way about him which suggests he takes his football seriously, while avoiding the pretentious nonsense of many other top managers ('mind-games' etc.).

This presentiment was confirmed a little today, after Chelsea's first loss of the season away at Wigan, 3-1.

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They Think It's All Over... thinks that if Pompey are to survive relegation, Paul Hart has got to go. Click to continue reading...

That there, is Deportivo Guadalajara (or the Chivas as they are nicknamed) losing 4-0 against San Luis. What followed, is this: The Chivas parted company with Francisco Ramirez, their third manager this year. He had taken over from Omar Arellano who was sacked after just three games in charge. He had taken over from [. Click to continue reading...

Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson has died of cancer aged 76. He had been battling the disease in various forms since 1992.

Robson will be best remembered for taking England to within a penalty-shoot out at the 1990 World Cup, but he also enjoyed success both domestically and with European clubs and had the kind of record that few modern managers can equal.

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Image via WikipediaFootball mourns loss of Sir Bobby Robson - Barclays Premier League - ESPN Soccernet
There are people out there who experienced much more of Sir Bobby Robson's career up close and personal than I did so I'm not going to attempt to compete with them in describing his legacy in football or repeat someone else's first hand account of an encounter with the man and how that revealed something deeper about him and why his passing is such a significant event. Click to continue reading...

Is it just me, or does Tommy seem uncharacteristically jovial in his post-game comments? Click to continue reading...

In life there are only a handful of things that are certain. You will watch Big Brother. It will irritate you. MPs will lie through their back teeth (and their front ones). Summer does make girls more attractive. And makes you feel less so. People who ring in radio stations with traffic updates are idiots.

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With the recent appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the new Chelsea manager and the recent announcement that Andriy Shevchenko will be coming back to the Bridge now that his one-year loan deal with AC Milan has expired, there are questions being asked of what Ancelotti / Chelsea will do with the 32-year-old striker.

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So, three clubs have now officially ended their search for a new boss. Atalanta, Juventus, and surprisingly Palermo have all appointed new managers today. Atalanta and Juventus choosing a new manager was expected, but Palermo appointing someone new was very surprising, especially considering that Davide Ballardini hasn't even been fired yet.

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Steve Bruce has been announced as new Sunderland manager after the North East club finally agreed a compensation package with Wigan and personal terms with Bruce himself.

The delay in concluding the deal was attributable to Bruce's demand for a profitable ‘Image Rights' package, it is rumoured.

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Last weekend's FA Cup final merely served to rubberstamp what we all knew anyway, Guus Hiddink is something of a managerial genius. Indeed, it is a testament to how the Dutchman has gotten his Chelsea side to perform over these past 3 months, that even when Everton opened the scoring at Wembley, there was still an inevitable sense that they would recover to turn it around.

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The last day of the season was a Sunday of goodbyes. Goodbye Maldini (retirement), goodbye Nedved (retirement, but may come back with another team), goodbye Figo (retirement, desk job with Inter probably), goodbye Ancelotti (Chelsea), goodbye Mazzarri (has to look for a team), goodbye Zenga (all signs are pointing towards Lazio, but maybe taking a year off), goodbye Quagliarella (signed for Napoli), goodbye Torino, Lecce, and Reggina (Serie B), goodbye Milito and Thiago Motta (off to Inter), goodbye Serie A every weekend, and then the two almost goodbyes that will be followed all summer by the press are those of Ibrahimovic and Kaka (who if reports are right will be playing each other in La Liga next season).

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They Think It's All Over... suggests that this could not be the end for Guus Hiddink at Chelsea, or at least it shouldn't be, if they know what's good for them. Click to continue reading...

Carlo Ancelotti's contract at AC Milan has been terminated by mutual consent and technical director Leonardo will replace Ancelotti as manager next season.

Ancelotti:

"In agreement with the club, we have decided to bring forward the expiry of my contract. This beautiful adventure at Milan is over.

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They Think It's All Over... considers the recent speculation linking Arsene Wenger with a move away from Arsenal and suggests that it would be in his and Arsenal's best interests to stick it out, and ride out the rough patch. There's light at the end of the tunnel... Click to continue reading...

They Think It's All Over... laments the predicatbility of the end of season awards in football, and goes through the managers that REALLY deserve to be crowned as the Premier League's top gaffer. Click to continue reading...

Paul Ince sacked by Blackburn. Kevin Keegan pushed out of Newcastle. Roy Keane frustrated by Sunderland. Ince was an outright firing after Blackburn only registered 3 wins in 17 matches. Keegan technically resigned, but has made allegations that the club forced him out. Roy Keane left Sunderland after failing to agree on contract negotiations.

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Placing Ronaldo and Fabregas Within the Evolutionary Trajectory of Soccer

Cristiano Ronaldo, 24, and Cesc Fabregas, 21, are emblematic of modern soccer. Barely on the backside of puberty, the two have become indispensable players on two of the biggest clubs in the world. They share boyish good looks and European-underwear-model hairdos.

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Who will be Chelsea's manager next season?

Whilst the fans ferventely hope that it is current interim boss Guus Hiddink who stays in his position, the chances of the Dutch mastermind staying on are quite slim - considering he's told everyone he's not staying, as has the chairman. The bookies have been taking bets on everyone from ex Barca gaffer Frank Riijkard to Mourinho to Mourinho's predecessor, Roberto Mancini.

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We are now at the business end of the season where the real money is earned, as managers and players are assessed by the progress they have made, as the climax to the season is swiftly approaching. Eventually, we will learn as to who goes to Europe, the UEFA Cup, and who is flushed down to the second tier.

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I was listening to the pod-cast of BBC's 606 football phone-in from after Wednesday's internationals earlier, but naturally, Alan Shearer's appointment as temporary boss of Newcastle was getting its fair share of discussion, aided by the fact that the man himself called up for a chat. I was shocked to hear some of the accusations [. Click to continue reading...

Manager WANTED – Chelsea FC (Competitive Salary / Start Date: June 2009) OK, Guus, we get the message. You won't be Chelsea manager next season. After a seemingly infinite amount of questions about his future, interim Chelsea manager, Guus Hiddink, has remained unwavering in his decision that he will only stay on at the club until [. Click to continue reading...

I was reading a respected journalist recently, who was praising the virtues of Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. Indeed, the author in question even went as far as to suggest that if and when Senor Capello decides that the England job is not for him, either when Old Trafford comes calling, he is sacked after [. Click to continue reading...

This summer should be a restructuring time for Chelsea, when new faces are brought in everywhere. Manager: If Guus Hiddink stays, this would be a great boon for Chelsea as so far, he seems to have instilled belief, or at least provided results, Tottenham game aside. If he does leave, and the wily Dutchman has stated [. Click to continue reading...