So how are you all after the international break? Miss watching our team lose and play horribly? Yeah me too. Luckily however this weekend we're playing some neighbors who are in much the same habit, managed by dear old Big Sam (maybe that was too many adjectives for one guy?). Blackburn are on a run of ten straight losses in away games, however they haven't lost at the Reebok

since 2001 (though really statistics like that don't mean that much).

Click to continue reading...

"I know there are not four or five years ahead of me, not with the injuries I've had," revealed Bellamy. "Maybe I've got one or two years at the most. It will be all over before I know it, so I'm just enjoying it."

>>Craig Bellamy

I remember when he signed for us, Bellamy spoke of it being a 'last chance' of sorts for him which could well explain the attitude and form he has shown since arriving.

Click to continue reading...

The look of the player on the pitch, a skilled & fiery workhorse, captures the fan's� imagination, but what follows?

Few goals, lots of whining, a desire to quit.

If this was said about Carlos Tevez in relation to Manchester United you might take pause to consider if he was done wrong and has a grevience.

Click to continue reading...

Just for the sake of it, see below a pic of the most famous phone booth in Scotland, used in the best movie ever made by a Scottish director that is in fact the best movie of all time!

The plans, drawn up by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, are intended to bridge the financial gap between the Premier League elite and the rest of the game, but they are thought to have little chance of being accepted by a majority of club chairmen.

Click to continue reading...

Photo by Sports on Film

Last January, Ike Opara sat in a college classroom with his laptop cracked open as he took a peak at what could have been his future. He was supposed to be focusing on his Debate class, but was instead tuned into the 2009 MLS Draft.

Click to continue reading...

Photo by Sports on Film

Last January, Ike Opara sat in a college classroom with his laptop cracked open as he took a peak at what could have been his future. He was supposed to be focusing on his Debate class, but was instead tuned into the 2009 MLS Draft.

Click to continue reading...

I was watching MNF last night and they were interviewing a coach from one of the games Sunday.
The coach said a couple things I thought were important and thus will share them.
He said that each of his players expects excellence from themselves. The individual players work their butts off so they can better themselves as players and contribute to the best of their abilities to the team. Click to continue reading...

Milan has really jumped up the table these past few weeks. After the horrible start where everyone condemned the Rossoneri to a season of misery, Leonardo's squad has made a complete turnaround, finally playing well and becoming contenders once again. They now find themselves 5 points behind leaders Inter and only 2 behind Juventus and saying the word Scudetto shouldn't be met with laughter.

Click to continue reading...

If you have any reasonable level of motivation on Friday, you're a better person than I. I spent about half the time I usually do trying to find interesting links for today's edition of...

Click to continue reading...

The two top sides in the Premier League in recent years, United and Chelsea have unearthed a rivalry that has been fought on all fronts. While geographical location may not play a part in their feelings towards each other, the chance to establish themselves at the top is the main motivation for success. Click to continue reading...

Inter Milan v AS Roma
Serie A
Sunday, 8 November 2009
San Siro
Kick off: 20:45

As Internazionale faces AS Roma at the San Siro this Sunday, Roma manager Claudio Ranieri will be hoping that the evidence he is looking at is wrong.

Exhibit item A tells Ranieri that Roma without Francesco Totti does not offer much this season.

Click to continue reading...

Jared Bonin, goalkeeper at Savannah College of Art and Design, pictured above sent in this great pic of him sporting a JMS "Believe in it" sweatband!

He said he has been wearing his "Believe in it" sweatband in his games for motivation and also because it keeps his head dry!� Nice to know it is doing it's job!

Click to continue reading...

Right then, football tonight against Alkmaar and I really hope they're just plain old AZ tonight and not the typical Ronald Koeman AZzzzzzzzz.

Every time we play a Koeman side it's inevitably a truly dire spectacle. A tedious, coma inducing draw of some kind and I could really do without that tonight.

Click to continue reading...

There was a time when I thought Roy Hogdson was a bit of a joke.
Over time, however, I have come to think he is a bit of a dude.
I mean look how he has stabilised Fulham.
Picking them up out of the relegation zone.
And now a nice steady level of performance. Click to continue reading...

An adage in coaching i used to hear often about any manger who's team began to falter after a good season was "He became dumb over night" Referring to a coach or manager who led a side to great results one year but followed it up with disastrous results the following year. Many may be thinking this about Marco Giampaolo who only a few weeks ago received a ringing endorsement from Don Fabio Cappello. Click to continue reading...

Carling Cup tomorrow, with a home matchup against Liverpool.

As I've said previously, I feel a little conflicted about the competition. Do I want to win? Yes, of course. But I have mixed feelings about how we treat the competition. Because, to be clear, Arsene Wenger does not really care about winning the Carling Cup.

Click to continue reading...

Reason number 908 as to why base layers should be banned from the game:

Philippe Mexes (Roma) and his exposed bottom cheek.

Let's call this what it truly is, shall we? Good for the economy.

Seeing this man's lower half is enough motivation for fangirls worldwide to get out� of bed and head to work this morning.

Click to continue reading...

Reason number 908 as to why base layers should be banned from the game:

Philippe Mexes (Roma) and his exposed bottom cheek.

Let's call this what it truly is, shall we? Good for the economy.

Seeing this man's lower half is enough motivation for fangirls worldwide to get out� of bed and head to work this morning.

Click to continue reading...

I feel the game against the Mancs is timely. What better way to show to the fans our resilience if not by winning this much-anticipated game. This is the sort of games when form is thrown out of the window.

What I would like to see today is a game in which all our players give their all and play themselves to the ground.

Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez has urged his hurting squad to show strength in adversity and turn their season around in the "perfect game".
Liverpool are currently embroiled in their worst run of form for 22 years but Benitez has remained in a bullish mood ahead of tomorrow's Anfield test against Manchester United. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid:

Chelsea will look to bounce back from their second loss of their domestic campaign. The Blues lost to Aston Villa at the weekend because of two lapses on set pieces but Ballack says that they are looking to eradicate those mistakes.

"John's (Terry) reaction on the pitch showed that he takes a big responsibility not just for himself but for the team," said Ballack.

Click to continue reading...

by FRANCO PANIZO

The U.S. national team's 2-2 draw against Costa Rica� at RFK Stadium on Wednesday crowned� the Americans as champions of the� Hexagonal,� but perhaps� just as big of a story as the U.S. team's first-place finish� was the tribute from the fans and players� to forward� Charlie Davies.

Click to continue reading...

Alberto Aquilani has revealed the motivation that has seen him through some tough times on his road to recovery.
The Italian midfielder has yet to appear for the Reds since signing from Roma in the summer, but he's told LFC Weekly Magazine the thought of scoring a goal in front of his new fans has spurred him on. Click to continue reading...

I have said it before and I will say it again.� Lionel Messi is flat out the best player in all of the world.� End of the discussion.�

Messi brought home the first ever treble for� Spain's La Liga and the forward won the Champions League Player & Forward� of the Year awards� and also� the LLTO Player of the Year to name a few of the most coveted trophies in his case at home.

Click to continue reading...

It hadn't been a great week for the Old Firm, starting with results that put their lowly status in Europe into perspective and finishing with a mildly critical piece on the famous 'twohundredpercent' football blog , so I suppose it was inevitable that it was time once again for both clubs to do what they do when times are hard: to talk once again about leaving the backwaters of the Scottish Premier League behind them and finding somewhere more lucrative to play.

Click to continue reading...

The title to this article might suggest that I am providing some late coverage on Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner's recent car accident while driving to practice in his Aston Martin. In reality, though, this article is written in vehement defense of the player, who has certainly had more than his fair share of critics, to put it bluntly.

Click to continue reading...

Yes, it is indeed a full decade since our last win at Anfield. And while that record is not something to be proud of, there are plenty of other teams with longer winless runs at our original home, so why not celebrate that win and see the anniversary as a motivation for a better future.
lets zoom back to the end of the last century, to the 27th September 1999 to be precise, and a Monday night clash with the old enemy. Click to continue reading...

With just 3 regular season games remaining before he leaves MLS to join Danish club Aalborg, Fire midfielder/forward Chris Rolfe is taking in every moment of his last few weeks with Chicago. "Knowing that my games at Toyota Park are numbered for now makes it something that I definitely want to take full advantage of," said the 26-year-old Rolfe prior to Saturday's game against Toronto FC.

Click to continue reading...

The Premiere League is shaping up and the cream of the crop is rising fast. � With Chelsea, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa in the top 5 nothing...and everything seems certain.

We expect Chelsea and Man U to be here. � They had some epic battles last season and this season should be no exception.

Click to continue reading...

by CARL ELDRIDGE Arsene Wenger's football education has its origins in studying ale-addled Frenchies discussing their woes in his parents' boozer. That's the top tale doing the rounds in this morning's papers along with AW revealing that he has no plans to retire. Thank God (Dennis Bergkamp).

Click to continue reading...

After a seemingly endless string of MLS PK awards that have sent fans of virtually every MLS team out into the night in search of replacement TV's (since the one they watched the game on now has a brick in it) it's nice - well, maybe nice isn't exactly the word; let's say a relief - to finally see an official point to the spot in stoppage time and not see him immediately surrounded by a lynch mob of players bent on demonstrating that the FIFA "Respect" progam is the soccer equivalent of "WIN" buttons:
Seriously, when is the last time you saw a ref call a spot kick and NOBODY says a single word to him? Click to continue reading...

Edin Dzeko is back with a bang! The Bosnia international striker, who spent most of the summer pushing for a dream move to AC Milan, has finally underlined his commitment to Wolfsburg with an outstanding decisive brace away to Schalke 04.

Click to continue reading...

Whilst performances so far this season have been professional - with the results reflective of this - our opponents in those games are those who we should be victorious against if we have designs on a succesful season.
This now changes with the visit of Arsenal (and the trip to United the following week) as these will be more of a measure of us as a side, and our potential for the remainder of the season. Click to continue reading...

Manchester City

Last Season: 10th, 15-5-18 (50 points, +8 goal differential)

Recent Form: WWW

Home Form (last season): 13-0-6

Last Meeting: Arsenal 2-Manchester City 0 (4/4/09)

The international break is finally at an end, and football returns tomorrow as we travel up to the City of Manchester Stadium to play Manchester City.

Click to continue reading...

At first glance, one would guess that Chris Rolfe's impending move from the Fire to Danish club Aalborg was motivated by a couple of things: 1) the motivation to play in a league with more exposure/higher quality of play and 2) the desire to earn a little more money in a career in which players have a short earning lifespan.

Click to continue reading...