Is Jose Mourinho putting out feelers for a return to England at the end of the season?

According to a report in The Sunday Times (subscription required), an unnamed source close to Mourinho intimated that the Real coach could leave. "He was sick and tired of this situation at Madrid.

In a case of the means justifying the end, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish employed stultifyingly negative tactics to triumph against Manchester City in the Carling Cup two weeks ago. This ruined the game as a spectacle, and Liverpool fans will be hoping for a more proactive, attacking approach in the second leg tomorrow.

Capello takes a leaf out of Mourinho's book - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The anti-football of Mourinho and Capello can reap rewards, but more is needed for England to be contenders for EURO 2012.

On the face of it, it was not overly surprising. The 7th best team in the world, England, beat the best team in the world, Spain, 1-0 at home in a friendly international.

Despite a great total team performance that went a long way towards wiping away the shame of the awful letdown in Utah, the Sounders came up just short in their comeback attempt and their MLS season is officially over. So now who are you supporting for the MLS Cup?

Previous to this series Real Salt Lake was a popular second team in these parts, as they generally play a Sounders-like positive, attractive short passing style that makes for a much better game than most of the other teams in the league.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRSHwJsGPGo

The prediction engine from FIFA 12 by EA Sports this week serves up Manchester City against Aston Villa.

Both teams will be eager to pick up points at Etihad Stadium. City will want to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table, while Aston Villa fans are getting inpatient with Villa's negative tactics despite recent points being picked up.

Frank Klopas put out a starting lineup consisting largely of bench players. That lineup went out and got itself a key road draw while providing rest for normal starters going into the US Open Cup final. As Tweed mentioned earlier this was a rather drab affair. Yet there are several things worth discussing.

Jose Mourinho admits he is worried about Real Madrid's current form but said Wednesday's 0-0 draw was down to Racing Santander's negative tactics. After the narrow Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, Madrid looked in good form at the start of the season as they scored ten goals in their opening two La Liga games against Real Zaragoza and Getafe.

Jose Mourinho admits he is worried about Real Madrid's current form but said Wednesday's 0-0 draw was down to Racing Santander's negative tactics. After the narrow Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, Madrid looked in good form at the start of the season as they scored ten goals in their opening two La Liga games against Real Zaragoza and Getafe.

Jose Mourinho admits he is worried about Real Madrid's current form but said Wednesday's 0-0 draw was down to Racing Santander's negative tactics.

...and then calmly shifts it on to Sami Khedira's lack of "sufficient intelligence."
"My player knows about these situations and fell for the trap.That's why I make him partly responsible for the defeat and I don't have a problem doing so. It is also our fault, mine and my players.An important part of the meeting I had with my players today covered similar situations to those of Khedira's red card.

The Copa America will see Uruguay take on Paraguay in the final on Sunday after both nations secured their berths with semi-final victories over Peru and Venezuela respectively.

The Uruguayans are now many people's favourites to win the competition after their 2-0 win over Peru on Tuesday.

George Vecsey on the NY Times blog:

Sweden and the United States just reminded me why women's soccer stands by itself as a special sport. The women never stop playing. Never mind technique or tactics, I am talking here about heart.
...
Sure, the women will try to sell a foul by grabbing the wounded area and flashing a quick grimace, but if the ref doesn't buy it (and the Japanese ref seemed wise to all that Wednesday) these athletes jump up and start running again.

Barcelona's foul play is hidden away in their exorbitantly high percentage of possession says Andy Simanowitz.

FC Barcelona are widely regarded in football circles as not only the best team in the world but perhaps the best team the world has ever seen. This belief is fuelled not only by the team's unprecedented success on the domestic and European stages but also by the aesthetic qualities of their attacking play.

Barcelona's foul play is hidden away in their exorbitantly high percentage of possession says Andy Simanowitz.

FC Barcelona are widely regarded in football circles as not only the best team in the world but perhaps the best team the world has ever seen. This belief is fuelled not only by the team's unprecedented success on the domestic and European stages but also by the aesthetic qualities of their attacking play.

- Maxi Rodriguez

Their slogan says it all: Mes que un club.

While the rest of the footballing world revolves around victories and Cup runs, Barcelona occupy a space raised above the concerns of the bourgeoisie. Cultivated in a Catalonian landscape often subject to political and footballing persecution from the Spanish capital, Barcelona have never been so much a football "club," as an expression of Catalonian identity.

So, the "Special one" does it again.
He has only gone and won the Copa Del Ray (King's Cup) in Spain tonight by beating the mighty Barcelona, in extra time 1-0.
Ronaldo headed home the goal for his 42nd of the season late in the game so, another trophy claimed by Mourinho.
He has now won silverware for FC Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid amongst others in his remarkable Managerial career.

ARSENAL came up short once again as Barcelona shattered their Champions League dream at a raucous Nou Camp stadium last night.

Billed as a tie bringing together two of the greatest exponents of the beautiful game, the Gunners were outclassed, outfought and outthought as Barcelona proved why they are the most feared side on the planet.

Only Paul Gardner could find something critical in a match that pits Barcelona and Arsenal against each other.
I thought the game was a brilliant display for long stretches of the match, and didn't feel that Arsene Wenger's tactics negated the aesthetics that both teams have the ability to create.

Is he waving goodbye?

13 EPL matches this week, plus we find out who will meet at Wembley for the League Cup, before the league breaks for the FA Cup Round-of-32. If you get any deja vu, all of these reverse fixtures were played just 3 weeks ago on the 28th/29th of December.

Considering they have only won at Anfield twice in 19 Premier League visits and three times in over 25 years Everton would probably be the happier of the two teams following Sunday's 2-2 draw.
But looking at the game the lack of form, confidence and in some cases quality is there for all to see across both sides.

Roberto Mancini is in the firing line after once again sending his team out to play gilded opponents with one rather than three points the main aim.
Just like they did in the November home fixture against Manchester United, City opted to park the most expensive bus in world football in front of their goal and invite fellow title challengers to break them down.

The agonizing miss

Arsenal failed to keep up pace with Manchester United as we can only managed a draw against fellow title contender, Manchester City at home. It was two points drop rather than a point gained. A fact that is apparent in the zero shots on target that City could mustered and the totally negative tactics which Roberto Mancini brought to the Grove.

Arsenal o Man City 0
(Premiership)

There is having a penchant for defensive midfielders, there is playing cautiously and hitting teams on the break, and then there the sort of display City put in last night. Dour, dull but effective, it was the single most negative performance I've seen in many years, from an expensively assembled side with plenty of available attacking talent (ignore the absences of Silva and Balotelli, when you spend hundreds of millions on ready made players and leave the likes of Adam Johnson out, you cannot complain about a couple of injuries).