No Self Interest In This Move At All?

ITV are lobbying the government to ensure that all World Cup and European Championship qualification matches involving the 'home' nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland be added to the list of sporting events that is protected for 'free-to-air' broadcasters such as, well, them.Obviously, if this were to happen, it would diminish FIFA and UEFA's ability to profit from such http://cli.gs/UWhq4

Players That Are Definitely, Definitely Not Leaving

In a desperate attempt to make transfer rumours more interesting, I’m going to round up quotes about players who are definitely, definitely not leaving and the clubs, who are, of course, definitely, definitely not buying.
First we have Joey Barton. Lovely chap. But definitely, definitely not moving to Hull City. According to Hull assistant manager Brian [...] http://cli.gs/D9gdY

Please Make It Stop

On SkySports, Sunday Morning, there is a programme called 'Goals on Sunday'.

Up until this season, this was presented by Chris Kamara and Rob McCaffrey and was an entertaining, laddish round-up show that worked well, mainly because of the chemistry between the two main presenters and their guests.

This season, though, the show is, frankly, a train wreck. McCaffrey has disappeared into the ether and has been replaced by Claire Tomlinson.

Tomlinson is a perfectly competent presenter, but her and Kamara just doesn't work. They obviously don't really get on and this colours the whole programme.

Worse still, the interaction with the studio guests has gone from comfortable, relaxed banter to awkward and stilted. There are embarrassing pauses after every exchange and the whole thing is just awful.

Please make it stop.

Liverpool...Who're Day, La?

Sometimes I despair of football fans. Really, truly, despair.

Most recently, this thread on BBC Sport 606 has made me want to weep.

The suggestion is that Liverpool FC (y'know, that team that dominated both domestic and European football in the 70s and 80s) can never be a 'global brand' because according to two people commenting on the the thread: "it just does not have the glamour of london, barcelona, milan , madrid" and because "when i think of liverpool, unemployment and teenage pregnancies spring to mind."

I'm sure Liverpool fans reading this will be happy to put these ignorants idiots right. Meanwhile, I'm going to lie down in a darkened room and weep a little.

England V Israel: Fear The Worst

I usually try to keep this blog solely to Premiership football, but with an international break coming up, I thought I'd preview the England v Israel game.

Here's the story of England's European qualification campaign so far: played badly, lost games they could have drawn, drawn games they should have won. Currently in danger of not qualifying.

And so, we come to this weekend's match against Israel. It's a match England must win to keep their hopes of qualification alive. If England draw and both Croatia and Russia win, then it's almost certain Croatia will go on to qualify.

That leaves England having to beat Russia home and away to qualify. Russia manager Guus Hiddink is far too savvy to let that happen. So it's all or bust in the England v Israel match.

Unfortunately, with Hargreaves a doubt, Gerrard a doubt, Rooney injured, Crouch suspended, Neville out, Sol Campbell out, etc. etc. - England look pretty threadbare.

Bringing back Emile Heskey and calling up such unproven talents as Joleon Lescott and Ashley Young is not a recipe for success.

Let's not forget that Israel are no slouches. They went the whole of their World Cup qualification campaign unbeaten in a group that included France and the Republic of Ireland.

They do have some quality players - Benayoun at Liverpool and Ben Haim at Chelsea among the best known - and are well capable of getting a draw against an under par England side.

If I was a betting man (and I am, on occasion), I'd put my hardly earned cash on a draw at around 11/4.

Those nice people at Stan James will offer you a free £25 bet if you sign up and bet there (the amount of the freee bet is matched to the amount of your first bet).

They've got online poker and casino stuff as well - all under one account, so you can click here to sign up.

Hell, bet on a famous England victory and prove me wrong. But my gut feeling is Saturday will not be England's night.

Premiership Transfer Round Up

Those nice people (um, including me) over at Premiership Today have put together a complete list of all transfers that took place in the Premiership this summer :

Arsenal Transfers
Aston Villa Transfers
Birmingham City Transfers

Blackburn Rovers Transfers
Bolton Wanderers Transfers
Chelsea

Derby County
Everton
Fulham Transfers

Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United

Middlesbrough
Newcastle Utd Transfers
Portsmouth

Reading FC
Sunderland
Tottenham Transfers

West Ham
Wigan Athletic

'How To Impress Your New Boss' the Mark Bosnich Way

I've titled this thread in honour of the mighty Mark Bosnich, who, just before being unveiled as a Manchester United player, punched a photographer and spent the night in the cells. Sir Alex Ferguson - needless to say - was far from impressed.

It's good to know that the patented Bosnich approach to impressing your new boss still has adherents in the modern Premiership.

I present for your delectation and delight : Zat Knight. Knight has just moved from Fulham to Aston Villa on a four year deal.

So how does this paragon of footballing goodness celebrate his move?

Well, by getting arrested on suspicion of 'Class A' drugs offences in the early hours of the morning he was going to be unveiled as an Aston Villa player.

We are sure that Martin O'Neill is extremely impressed by his new signing and is certain to put him straight into the first team.

Top that one, Bosnich.

The Strange Case of David Nugent

After playing poorly in his first two games for Portsmouth and being on the bench for two more, it now appears that Lord Harry of Redknapp is prepared to sell David Nugent.

Having paid £4.5million only weeks ago, it seems ludicrous that any manager, even one as capricious (look it up) as Redknapp, would sell a player so quickly.

This, of course, has brought out the conspiracy theorists. Like this one from 'Mooney_Is_God' on BBC's 606 Forums :

"They paid 4.5 mill ish up front and will now sell to Billy D for 6 mill, leaving PNE 1.5 mill out of pocket. Billy fell out massively with PNE and ..... read between the lines. Poor dave nuge. All he wants to do is play. Should have stayed at PNE really."

However, what is even stranger is that it does appear that Derby are in the running to buy Nugent. How are they going to finance this ?

By selling Robert Earnshaw, the club's record signing that they themselves only bought 3 or 4 weeks ago.

The world of Premiership football gets weirder by the day.

Jol In 'I Still Have A Job' Shocker

So, the expected happened on Sunday and Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur and yet Spurs boss, Martin Jol, still has his job.

Jol had been under extreme pressure from Spurs bosses after dismal performances against Sunderland and Everton. So, why, I ask you, is the man still manager of a Premiership football team ?

Is it possibly because the Tottenham board have realised :

a) Jumping up and down; stamping your feet like a two year old and shouting 'I want Champions League football and I want it now' isn't actually going to get the desired effect?

b) That sacking a coach who is very highly regarded within the football industry and who got Spurs into Europe two seasons running is not going to send out the right signals to potential replacements?

c) The season is only two weeks old. Only a bunch of cowardly incompetents would sack a manager after two weeks?

d) That Martin Jol is actually a damn fine manager who has done extremely well for the club and should be given the opportunity to show he can take it one step further?

e) All of the above.

Lawrie Sanchez and Ronnie Kray : Separated At Birth ?

Any one else noticed the increasing similarity between Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez and famed East End villain Ronnie Kray?

Or is it just me?

Photos coming when I can find some good ones.