Want improvement? A century ago as America's eastern cities overpopulated it was, "Go West, young man." For soccer a century later the trumpet sounds the same. Only going west means tracking back to the previous Western frontier. In mainland Europe. Or at least that's what Simon Kuper believes and writes in his and economist Stefan Szymanski's new book, Soccernomics.

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Throughout my life I've been both types of fan, loyalist and leach, depending on the sport. There is logic and even romance in each. But as I age I'm attracted more and more to the latter, to the Chuck Klosterman sort of sports fandom that resembles musical taste – polygamous and fickle. I think this is common for a lot of modern sports fans, the mass consumers of entertainment that we are.

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Preview: Why England Lose by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski
Did you know Arsene Wenger has a master's degree in economics? And what has he learnt from it? Don't buy old players, buy in them their early 20s and sell them as soon as someone offers more than you think they are worth.
Another insightfull take from the Australian Financial Review:

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"Just this one afternoon started the whole thing off - there was no prolonged courtship ... In a desperate and percipient attempt to stop the inevitable, Dad quickly took me to Spurs to see Jimmy Greaves score four against Sunderland in a 5-1 win, but the damage had been done, and the six goals and all the great players left me cold: I'd already fallen for the team that beat Stoke 1-0 from a penalty rebound.

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Apart from transfer rumours, commentary on managers probably forms the bulk of football chatter. Before, during and after every game, every decision is scrutinised; every minute move debated; tactics, strategy, man-management, motivation, appearance all feed into an endless discourse debating whether any given manager is succeeding or not.

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