Month: November 2010

Manchester United play host to Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford in the Barclays Premier League, and the Reds should have payback on their mind. Last season, Blackburn played the role of spoiler with great aplomb by foiling United’s attempt to win the Premier League title by securing a nil-nil draw away at Ewood Park, so that recent set back will be weighing heavy on their brains.

First, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at home to vicious rivals, Spurs. Now, they’ve returned home from Portugal with their heads down and their Champions League future…

Brazilian Championship or “Brasileirão”, as it is better known, approaches its end after the 36th round with league leaders Fluminense carrying a meagre 60% overall performance so far. Can it…

Check out the brand spanking new episode of 3 Up Front! Host Adrian Clarke, alongside wing men Iain Spragg and Iain Macintosh run the rule over a number of issues…

“Uefa has charged Jose Mourinho and four of his Real Madrid players over allegations he ordered Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso to get themselves sent off in a Champions League…

Alongside the worldwide players’ union (FIFPro),  FIFA have this afternoon announced the 55 players that have been included on the shortlisted for the FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2010 – which will…

Last night’s Champions League tie between Rangers and Manchester United wasn’t one that’s going to live long in the memory, thanks largely to Walter Smith‘s propensity for forming an 10-man…

La Liga and the Premier League are, in most quarters, rightly recognised as the two strongest leagues in the world. Perhaps this is tough on Serie A; but it is…

Ahead of the match with Rangers, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that he may have tinkered one too many times with his forwards, but could be forced to shuffling them yet again? With Wayne Rooney completing his first 90 minutes for United since September 19 against Liverpool, and now the player who etched his name in club’s history with his legendary hat-trick in that same match, is now becoming rather disruptive, himself.

Tottenham made easy pickings off the German side Werder Bremen as defender Younes Kaboul scored off an Aaron Lennon cross, Luka Modric scored when Peter Crouch headed a ball to…

Argentine Esteban Cambiasso after being alleged to have called the Inter Milan president and ask him to sack Rafael Benitez, scored for Inter in the home UEFA Champions League game…

Two Pedro and one Lionel Messi goals saw Barcelona confirm their qualification to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League. Group D wasn’t much of a group to qualify…

An unlucky 87th minute Wayne Rooney penalty was the difference between Rangers and Manchester United. Ironically for United fans, this is Rooney’s second goal of the season and both have…

Manchester United secured their place in the next round of the UEFA Champions League with a well-deserved 1-0 win over Rangers at the Ibrox Stadium. The script was written for Wayne Rooney on his return to the starting line-up, and the forward – albeit a late penalty – got his name amongst the goals to exercise some of his self-inflicted demons.

David Wheater (Middlesbrough) to Aston Villa, Everton or Stoke He may only be 23 but it feels like David Wheater has been around a while. He is no longer discussed…

It may have escaped your notice given the relative silence it’s been afforded, but Arsenal’s rag-tag bunch of pre-pubescent pygmies lost out 0-2 last night to the very same Portuguese…

Oft accused of play-acting and theatrics, Real Madrid appeared to fall a long way short of their own ‘high’ standards against Ajax last night. For once, Cristiano Ronaldo was not…

After the exercise in tabloid-evasion that saw him carted around the world for the majority of the last month or so, Manchester United’s wayward striker Wayne Rooney returned to the…

In another behind-closed doors interview, Wayne Rooney reiterated that his long term future is with Manchester United. However, it was his worry about how he was going to be perceived by the supporters, which will steel all the headlines, because Rooney admitted that he feared the backlash from the supporters after his highly-publicized contract dispute.

Although Chelsea sit at the summit of the table after 14 Premier League games with 28 points, they have already lost 4 times. Manchester United, having drawn as many games…

Wigan midfielder Charles N’Zogbia has said his time at the club is “just a stepping stone.” The 24 year-old moved to the DW Stadium last year from Newcastle United after…

In a turn of phrase more befitting an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E than an interview regarding the upcoming World Cup 2018 voting ceremony in Zurich, the chief executive…

Over the last five-and-a-bit fallow seasons, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has seen his band of nimble tyros surrender one and two-goal leads on no less than 34 occasions – with…

Ask someone who the best player in the world is and nine times out of ten the answer is either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Essien is a fantastic player…

Gamesmanship is prevalent in the majority of sports and football is no exception, but I often wonder what is acceptable and what is not. How far does it go before…

Note: All figures with respect to English Premier League matches this season only. That John Obi Mikel is a huge dividing force among Chelsea fans around the world is no…

Despite playing in the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United has just a four-hour drive to the Ibrox Stadium to take on Rangers as they look to qualify for the Knockout phase of the competition. United has yet to concede a goal in any of their four Champions League matches this season, which serves as the main reason as to why they are in the pole position in Group C at moment, but the Reds will need to be fully focused because a win against Rangers would secure safe passage through to the next round.