Understandably, none of our regular authors were inclined to write a match report following yesterday's game, so you will all have to suffer the thoughts of someone who will I'm sure, not be expressing the mainstream opinion on this site.

I couldn't go to the game as I had to work. I followed the live commentary on BBC Sport football, listened to the radio phone in on my way home and watched the lowlights on MotD through the lattice of my fingers clamped to my face.

Note: This post comes with a Geek Alert!
Television has had a profound influence on football: the players, agents, business models of clubs, the relationship between league play and international football - you name it. And few television programs are more loved by fans than highlight shows like the BBC's Match of the Day, which has been on the air with interruptions) since 1964.

szólj hozzá: Spurs v Wolves 1:1 MOTD

Scorers:
Fletcher 22′ (Wol)
Modric 51′ (Tot)

By Alan Duffy

They may only be a Southern Football Premier League side, but the decision by Oxford City to sack player Lee Steele over homophobic Twitter comments he made will have a significant influence on the game in general.

In refering to the out-gay Welsh rugby player, Gareth Thomas, and his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, Steele Tweeted: "I wouldnt fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockeda**ehole".

What we want for 2012: 'Make Mario Balotelli Manchester City captain'

From modernising MOTD to Liverpool ditching their persecution complex, Guardian writers offer their new year wishlist Richard Williams Capital cities seldom win the European Cup: Madrid, Amsterdam and, long ago, Lisbon and Belgrade are the exceptions in the history of a tournament that has brought no joy to Rome, Paris, Berlin or, of course, London.

By Alan Duffy

On Boxing Day, Martin O'Neill's Sunderland were a goal ahead and looking to pick up all three points against Everton when, early in the second-half, the Toffees' diminutive schemer Leon Osman ran into the Black Cats box with the intention of shooting on goal.

After another Christmas of not doing especially a fat lot, I decided to take my usual place on the sofa and tune into a Boxing Day feast of football which comprised of the usual dose of Soccer Saturday followed by Match of the Day.
Whilst this for me is pretty much a perfect Saturday and nothing can quite beat the sound of Chris Kamara shouting "Unbelievable Jeff" or Paul Merson screeching "He's hit the Beans on Toast!

By Oli Baker

At the time of writing, no side in Europe's top five leagues has made as few tackles per game as Wolves (15.4) or as few interceptions (11.9).

For a team that gained a reputation as being tough and uncompromising last season, these are startling statistics.

Although Wolves do fare quite well in the possession stakes, averaging 50.

By Oli Baker

At the time of writing, no side in Europe's top five leagues has made as few tackles per game as Wolves (15.4) or as few interceptions (11.9).

For a team that gained a reputation as being tough and uncompromising last season, these are startling statistics.

Although Wolves do fare quite well in the possession stakes, averaging 50.

1. Anton Ferdinand (QPR) 2. Mark Lawrenson (MOTD) 3. Ryan Shawcross (Stoke) 4. Glenn Whelan (Stoke) 5. Heidar Helguson (QPR)

Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight. The same scientific practice can be applied to Match of the Day as James Shaw will vividly discuss. Entertainment is, and can certainly be construed, as simplistic. As one theoretical term alludes to; entertainment is a form of escapism.

By Chris Wright

I've been searching for this little gem since spotting it on MOTD on Saturday night, in which we see a dewy-eyed Wolves fan (in a rather splendid Koala bear hat) bursting into tears after seeing her side go two goals down to Swansea after about half-an-hour.

Rather later than planned, here are the ups and downs from the Premiership this week
Going Up...

Robin Van Persie
So the glass man has entered the records books at Arsenal with a ton of goals to his name, both of which were sublime finishes. Its a shame that his injury record is so poor or else he would be in a position where he could play for one of the best teams in Europe (muhaha).

Jose Enrique had another display that argued his case as Liverpool's player of the season to date, but you won't see much of that here. Lucas played over 270 minutes in less than a week and still had the stamina to run from one end of the pitch to the other to make a match-saving tackle in injury time, but you won't see that here.

29.08.2011 - Con goles de Wellbeck, Young (2), Rooney (3), Nani y Park, Manchester United le ganó (8-2) el clásico al Arsenal por la 3º fecha de la Premier League (2011-12).
Wallpapers, videos y particulares festejos se desprendieron de la goleada récord.

After going seven years without speaking to the BBC, Sir Alex Ferguson has now put an end to the boycott and will replace Mike Phelan as the voice of Manchester United on MOTD.

"Sir Alex and the BBC have put behind them the difficulties which led to Sir Alex feeling unable to appear on BBC programmes.

By Chris Wright

With a move to Man City lingering, it seems that Samir Nasri is rapidly approaching the end of his brief, intermittently scintillating tenure at Arsenal. However, due to a whole heap of mithering over agent's fees, it is unlikely that a deal will be struck before Wednesday night which just so happens to be the evening that Arsenal attempt to defend their narrow first-leg Champions League play-off lead against Udinese in Udine.

Date: Sunday Apr 17 2011
Ground: Wembley
Comp: FA Cup Semi Final
Match: Bolton Wanderers 0 Stoke City 5 HT: 0-3
Etherington 11, Huth 17, Jones 30, Walters 67, 80

ATT: 75,064
Additional: Entrance £34.50, Programme £5.00

Wembley in pictures

Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 7, Structures/Terracing 7, Hospitality 3, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 7
Total 24

I was very privileged to be at one of or maybe the best Stoke game in their history.

Date: Sunday Apr 17 2011
Ground: Wembley
Comp: FA Cup Semi Final
Match: Bolton Wanderers 0 Stoke City 5 HT: 0-3
Etherington 11, Huth 17, Jones 30, Walters 67, 80

ATT: 75,064
Additional: Entrance £34.50, Programme £5.00

Wembley in pictures

Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 7, Structures/Terracing 7, Hospitality 3, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 7
Total 24

I was very privileged to be at one of or maybe the best Stoke game in their history.

"I have just been unlucky." Those were the words of Paul Scholes when informed of his unwanted accolade of being named the third most-booked player in Premier League history.

On paper you might just think that the newly retired midfielder made those comments with his tongue firmly in his cheek, but Scholes is insistent that his poor tackling has never been malicious, simply poor timed.

Sorry about missing the past two matches, there has been internet troubles.. But not to worry, we've got a super special HD victory to show you!

Goal in HD

MOTD Highlights

Norwich City defender Zak Whitbread has celebreated his call-up and chance at a first USMNT cap by nodding home a 27th minute free kick on Brad Guzan to put his promotion chasers up 1-0 at Hull. If we get a clip of this before The Football League Show after MOTD, I'll be surprised. But, we shall have one sooner or later.

A star is born? Well I've given it 48hrs following my warning about blogging when you're angry or in this case euphoric, and my considered opinion is still the same: we were 'sensational' as they say on MOTD. Not because we outplayed them but because we didn't succumb. This wasn't quite 'winning ugly' but more like 'drawing unattractively' They didn't let us play our game so we showed that we

They even had nets "It had everything: goals, crossbars, posts." MOTD pundit Alan Shearer damns West Brom and West Ham with faint praise after their 3-3 draw. At least the groundsman at The Hawthorns knows he has the rudimentary makings of a football pitch.

Alan Hansen believes that interim Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will want the job permanently at the end of the season, and will be targeting Champions League qualification.
Dalglish, who previously spent 14 years at the Anfield club as a player and manager, was handed the reins until the end of the season after Roy Hodgson left the club.

For those of you tuning in on Internet Explorer vision today, welcome back. For the rest of you, well, I can only send my condolences that you weren't around to see this website on its arse for two days. Flapping around like a half-dead sea bass on the deck of a boat. We've fixed it now. And when I say we, I of course mean someone else.

For those of you tuning in on Internet Explorer vision today, welcome back. For the rest of you, well, I can only send my condolences that you weren't around to see this website on its arse for two days. Flapping around like a half-dead sea bass on the deck of a boat. We've fixed it now. And when I say we, I of course mean someone else.

Detractors 1-0 Protractors Earlier this season MOTD faced some criticism over the nature of the analysis of its pundits. OTP was far from the programme's harshest critic. But we're not entirely convinced that this is what those leading the backlash meant by the need for some new perspective on the show.