In the end of the year when all is summed up, Kaka will be the biggest loser. When we wrote that Real will realize the sad truth that ‘galacticos 2' will be even a bigger farce than the first version of Perez's team, many thought we were wrong.

As soon as Real came across few serious rivals, things fell into place as making the team by spending €100 million because of someone's ego is simply not how things are done.

Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez needs to drop the handbrake and throw in Alberto Aquilani to put Liverpool's season into top gear.
This is a crossroads fixture for both teams and already seen as crucial for Liverpool and Manchester City.
But City have missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and Liverpool in recent weeks. Click to continue reading...

Fernando Torres is losing his fight to be fit for next week's Merseyside derby.
Liverpool's Spanish striker is sidelined by a groin injury since playing through the pain barrier in the Champions League draw with Lyon at the start of the month. He returned to training last week and was expected to return this week. Click to continue reading...

It feels like months since United's last outing. I'm not sure whether that's because of the boredom the International break breaks or the need we've felt to bury our last game to the back of our memories. Losing against your title rivals is always going to be painful but to lose how we did, at the hands of poor officiating, is even harder to take.

Click to continue reading...

Deportivo La Coruna-Atletico Madrid

Deportivo has remained strong early on in the year and the squad is currently in fifth place trailing four clubs that are all red hot.� They should remain a top five club by the end of the week as they play the very inconsistent (but bad in La Liga so far) Atletico Madrid.

Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry. A contentious and topical subject if ever there was one.
Whilst the footballing world today recoils in disgust at the actions of the France captain, there are plenty of misguided Arsenal fans who will be lightning quick to shout you down if you dare as to utter a derogatory comment. Click to continue reading...

Yesterday ended the long and difficult road that is World Cup qualifying. The 32-team field is set and while we won't know until next month what the groups are it does present a good time to discuss each team and how they got there.

(Note: I hope this is a start of many more World Cup posts going into next year.

Click to continue reading...

The Gazzetta dello Sport is arguably the most famous sports newspaper in Italy, selling more copies than rivals Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport. It is world famous for it's pink pages and has been printed in pink since 1899. The current head editor of the Gazzetta, Luigi Garlando, has always been a critic of Lippi since his return to the national team, has always been pro-Cassano, and doesn't understand why Lippi hates to answer questions at press conferences.

Click to continue reading...

African rivals� Algeria and Egypt meet in Sudan today for a decisive FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifier that will see the victorious side book their place in South Africa next year. Now you can check out the action LIVE and for FREE courtesy of FIFA.com at this link. Kick off is at 12:30 EST. Here's the spiel from [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's European Cup win in 2005 was one of the most incredible moments in their history. It stands to reason that somebody would make a film about it and I suppose it also makes sense they wouldn't be able to do so without including United.

Fifteen Minutes That Shook The World had its premiere on Monday night, attended by Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Rafael Benitez.

Click to continue reading...

Arsenal's midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas has been speaking to the Spanish press about his country's upcoming friendly with Austria, admitting that he doesn't know too much about tomorrow's rivals. The 21-year-old Gunners' skipper said that the Spaniards will treat the game exactly as they do every other game aiming to win. Click to continue reading...

Jeff Winter has been causing a bit of a fuss of late with his seemingly totally biased and negative opinions against our manager.

No manager has ever been given a touchline ban for comments he made about a referee but Winter went as far as claiming Ferguson should have been given a FIFA stadium ban!

Click to continue reading...

As a result of their dramatic 2-0 win on Saturday (the crucial second goal was scored in injury time), Egypt will meet Algeria for a third time on Wednesday in Sudan: whoever wins goes to South Africa. To describe this game as 'a local rivalry' is an understatement: the Algerian team bus was attacked at the weekend and both sides ending up blaming each other the Algerians blamed Egyptians who had been wound up by satellite TV broadcasts (insert Fox News joke here), the Egyptians claimed that it was arranged by local Algerians to make them look bad.

Click to continue reading...

Liverpool, the five-time European champions who have won the English title a joint-record 18 times, are struggling on the pitch but comprehensively outperforming their rivals online.
The club's official Facebook page has more than one million fans - more than every other official Premier League fan-page put together - while its Twitter feed has more than 55,000 fans. Click to continue reading...

Martin Petrov is facing a couple of weeks on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury in the current international break.

The winger has a slight sprain of the inner ligament in the left knee and could be out for up to two weeks.

Petrov was with his national squad preparing for a couple of friendlies when he was forced to return back to City's Carrington training ground, where he is now undergoing rehab work.

Click to continue reading...

Liverpool are ready to poach Eduardo from rivals Arsenal in a £10million deal.
The 26-year-old Croatian forward is unhappy that he has still to be offered improved terms at the Emirates.
His contract has just over 18 months to run and that has alerted Rafa Benitez, who desperately needs to strengthen his attacking options. Click to continue reading...

Brazil and England was going to be a reserve festival, as injuries took away many players from the match. So if in theory this is a match with no favorites, in reality, Brazil got that title as it had less players in the ER. Brazil had the responsibility to play better and add another match to the unbeaten streak against England that is 19 years-old.

Click to continue reading...

So we are facing Real Salt Lake for the Eastern Conference Semis, even though RSL isn't from the East! I know it is kinda oxymoronic, but the system has worked for the MLS in the past when one Conference (cough cough, the East last year) is completely dominant over the other. Either way, both teams got here in dramatic fashion.

Click to continue reading...

Former Chelsea goalie seriously injured in accident.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini has suffered "potentially life-changing injuries" in a motorbike accident in east London, police said.
He was taken to hospital after his BMW bike was involved in a collision with a car in Walthamstow at about 1030 GMT.

Click to continue reading...

Sir Alex Ferguson has been handed a four match touchline ban as well as a £20,000 for questioning the fitness of referee Alan Wiley.

After spending an unusually long time to book Anton Ferdinand in the second half, Ferguson claimed this was because Wiley needed a chance to get his breath back.

Click to continue reading...

The Beauty: Miss Amaia Salamanca is a beauty with few rivals. She's a top model in Spain, and her acting chops have landed her several roles. She has also gained notoriety� for appearing in a� memorable� commercial for Tampax years back. Like America's "Noxema Girl", Amaia is thought of often as Spain's "Tampon Queen".

Click to continue reading...

No? Well, Liverpool FC have...

Why would they take the piss out of themselves like that?? Who reckons Stevie will have already entered? Doing it this way has got to be better than never at all, right?

"Ever Wondered What It Would Feel Like To Lift The Premiership Trophy? Click to continue reading...

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen says the Gunners are serious about their Premiership prospects this season and are in the race for the long haul.
The Belgian, who has been impressive in his first three months in England, says Arsenal have laid the foundations for a full-on title tilt with their brilliant early-season form and warned rivals they have no intention of stopping. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen sent a strong signal to Arsenal's rivals by declaring the Gunners mean business and are part of the title race. The Belgian International was speaking to Arsenal TV Online after last weekend's ... Click to continue reading...

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen sent a strong signal to Arsenal's rivals by declaring the Gunners mean business and are part of the title race. The Belgian International was speaking to Arsenal TV Online after last weekend's ...

Click to continue reading...

First of all, observe this visual:

That is a dive. Many players dive in the premier league, as well as around the world. Many players win penalties by diving.

This happened at Anfield. Home of Liverpool. Liverpool were down 1-2 to Birmingham. The resulting penalty was converted and they tied the match 2-2.

Click to continue reading...

After another thumping win, in which we scored four times and went second, it's been interesting to read some of the reaction in the press.

There's no doubt that some of the sceptics have started to take note. We're now thirteen matches unbeaten, and in those 13 games have scored 37 goals. There's even talk that we might break the 100-goal barrier, though surely that's a) absurdly premature and b) asking for a tumble.

Click to continue reading...

This time yesterday Chelsea and Man Utd were heading onto the pitch for the second half at Stamford Bridge. Forty-five minutes later, a slightly anti-climatic encounter was over and a one nil win for Ancelotti's men represented their most significant – if below par - display of the season.
Manchester United fans are choosing to take an awful lot of positives from the fact that their below strength side managed to play so well.

Click to continue reading...

This time yesterday Chelsea and Man Utd were heading onto the pitch for the second half at Stamford Bridge. Forty-five minutes later, a slightly anti-climatic encounter was over and a one nil win for Ancelotti's men represented their most significant – if below par - display of the season.
Manchester United fans are choosing to take an awful lot of positives from the fact that their below strength side managed to play so well.

Click to continue reading...

I know Ronny would act the twat at times but I'm honestly struggling to think of an occasion when I would be more embarrassed to support a team who had a player like this in it. How can Chelsea fans tolerate this totally cringeworthy episode. I mean, seriously, what the fuck is he doing?

"Drogba Gif: Funny, Embarrassing Or Painfully Cringeworthy? Click to continue reading...

I know that day-after should have been Sunday(I was busy) and I know that we have to play Sunderland before facing our lucky and loved-by-referees rivals, but I simply can't wait for November 29th to ... Click to continue reading...

I know that day-after should have been Sunday(I was busy) and I know that we have to play Sunderland before facing our lucky and loved-by-referees rivals, but I simply can't wait for November 29th to ...

Click to continue reading...

The boys discuss beating the Mancs in an attritional 1-0 win, Drogba's goal scoring return in the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid, and the controversial Stamford Bridge naming rights issue, plus "We're out to show the world the way to sing!", "Dear Mart" and "You're on CFFC".
‘Stamford Bridge' resembled a war zone on Sunday, as the Chels battled a particularly petulant Man Utd for a 1-0 win. Click to continue reading...

"The Manchester players protested a lot. I don't know why. I don't like this."

Oh, the irony.

John Terry said he 'loved' Didier Drogba's disgraceful reaction to their result against Barcelona last season. Remember the one? He had to be dragged away from the referee before shouting "it's a fucking disgrace!

Click to continue reading...

-
- In addition to this site, try the combination messageboard and quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. If your're interested in constantly-updated QPR-related news; QPR nostalgia; and some other broader football-related isssues: QPR Report Messageboard is there for you. All opinions welcome! Click to continue reading...