Author Archive

March 9th, 2013 Football Comments

Can Spurs Win The Europa League?

Will the Europa League fall into Spurs' hands?

Will the Europa League fall into Spurs’ hands?

By Scott Macleod: Premier League Tottenham defeated Italian giants Inter 3-0 last night in the first leg of the knockout stages of the Europa League.

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The victory was a comfortable and comprehensive one and showed that Spurs are real contenders for the competition.

Balanced

The key to Tottenham’s success is that the team is so well-balanced. Under Harry Redknapp the team were maybe a bit too gung-ho.

Andre Villas-Boas’ tactics are a little more defensive, but it seems they have helped Tottenham become a better balanced team.

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March 7th, 2013 Football Comments

Wayne Rooney’s Future With Man United In Doubt

Wayne Rooney reacts to a missed opportunity in United's 2-1 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Wayne Rooney reacts to a missed opportunity in United’s 2-1 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

By Scott Macleod: Emboldened by comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney was in such a position of strength at Manchester United in 2010 that he took on manager Sir Alex Ferguson and won a lucrative new contract.

At that time, Rooney was at the peak of his powers, easily English football’s star player. He seemed to believe he was too good for United, that the club wasn’t matching his ambitions.

Less than three years later and the opposite may be true.

Ferguson’s decision to drop Rooney — now behind Robin van Persie in the pecking order — for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid has left some to question the striker’s future at Old Trafford.

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March 1st, 2013 Football Comments

Benitez Attack Will Be Quickly Forgotten If Chelsea Can Secure Mourinho’s Return

By Scott Macleod: Rafa Benitez was doomed from the start at Stamford Bridge—a man who wasn’t Roberto Di Matteo; a man who had fired shots from Liverpool; a man whose “interim” appointment embodied the impatient, short-termist thinking of the billionaire owner by whom Chelsea fans are dictated to.

Roman Abramovich, the Russian whose rubles made everything possible for Chelsea, has bought the right to remain largely beyond reproach in the eyes of the fans—publicly at least. You only need imagine a Chelsea without him to understand to why.

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February 27th, 2013 Football Comments

Suddenly, Barcelona Looking All Too Human

Raphael Varane rising high as he headed in Real Madrid’s final goal in its 3-1 victory at Barcelona. Madrid advanced, 4-2, on aggregate

Raphael Varane rising high as he headed in Real Madrid’s final goal in its 3-1 victory at Barcelona. Madrid advanced, 4-2, on aggregate

By Scott Macleod: The sides were level after their first match in the Copa Del Rey semifinal, with the second leg Tuesday at the Camp Nou. Barcelona, which has an almost unassailable lead in La Liga, handed out 90,000 red, blue and yellow flags to its fans to wave into the faces of the Real players as they entered the arena.

The intent was clear. The Catalans were mocking the Madridistas.

Their hubris was destroyed by white heat. Real squeezed the virtue out of Lionel Messi and company, and hit them on the break. Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and a towering header from the 19-year-old defender Raphaël Varane exploited yawning holes in the home defense. Jordi Alba’s token goal for Barça in the dying minutes could not disguise this emphatic and humbling dethroning of the King’s Cup holder.

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