Man City have been given special permission to bring in Martin Fulop on loan until the end of the season to cover their goalkeeping injury crisis. Why exactly has this been sanctioned? They got themselves into a mess and they are now being bailed out with the chance to sign a keeper with Premier League experience just because they didn’t have anyone else in place.

So The Best League in the World bar none (copyright Barclays, Sky, Mars etc) finally also seems to be turning into the most open league in the world. Points have been dropped left right and centre. Formerly porous defences have shipped goals against the most modest of attacks. Even Darren Bent has transformed himself into the kind of striker capable of finding the back of the net on a more regular basis than Sandra R.

According to the official F.A website over 7000 referees quit football every year because of the abuse they receive from players and from the sideline. The Respect campaign was launched in an attempt to provide a safe and positive environment for players and referees to enjoy the game from grassroots to elite football. What, then, are we to make of Sir Alex Ferguson’s latest outburst in the aftermath of his side’s 2-2 draw last weekend with Sunderland?

Just over half a dozen games in and the Premier League is beginning to take shape. There have already been some heavyweight clashes with the newly oil rich Man City upsetting Big 4 stalwarts Arsenal while Spurs’ flying start was kept in check by Manchester United and Chelsea. With the electric Fernando Torres leading the line Liverpool have steadied the ship after a nervy start and last year’s pretenders, Aston Villa, have picked up useful points despite not fully hitting top form yet.

It doesn’t take much to wind up the average football fan these days. The average football fan (a long suffering male who enjoys beer and has delusions of grandeur for his team of overpaid primadonnas) is drawn to controversial issues like a moth to the proverbial flame. There is little doubt then that the events of the weekend past will have left a lot of fans more than a little wound up.

It is the responsibility of the Great British Press to hype up England’s chances before any major tournament. Expectation must be raised beyond anything remotely reasonable. The country must be gripped with fervor and an unswerving certainty that the trophy will be come back to where it belongs.

The easiest and quickest way to choose this team would be to go with the boys of ’66.  After all they are the only players to have represented England and won a major trophy.  They had a strong spine running through the team – Banks, Moore, Bobby Charlton and Hunt – and the right blend [...]

Now the dust has settled and Tom Henning Ovrebo has escaped Britain without being lynched, one thing has become abundantly clear after last Wednesday Champions League semi-final; neutral football fans, almost to a man, were desperate to see Barcelona go through. Chelsea fans aside, no one has been that bothered by the referee’s woeful performance. This may have been because Barca play sublime football. It might have also been because people wanted the ‘Hollywood Final’ of Man Utd vs Barca. They may not have wanted a repeat of last years final. But it also could be down to what seems to be an almost universal hatred of Chelsea. So what are the reasons why people hate Chelsea so much? Here’s my top 10.

With the Premier League drawing to a close it’s time for a look back at the season. Ryan Giggs has somehow already picked up the PFA player of the season, despite playing a mere 1313 of a possible 3150 Premier League minutes. The title was all but decided by Howard Webb’s errant whistle and a meek Spurs capitulation at Old Trafford a few weeks back. The FA Cup offers Everton the chance of gloriously dull failure against Chelsea on a dodgy Wembley pitch. The Champions League still has genuine excitement to offer as this week showed. However, where the real glory lies is in the Duds XI for 2008-09.

Criteria for selection was as wide ranging as the line-up itself. To qualify some kind of disappointment or a let down was needed. Not exactly an X-factor, more of a ‘Why?’ factor. Calamitous mistakes, thuggish brutality, unfulfilled promise, piles of wasted cash and plain bad luck have all played a part in the following players’ seasons. The only rigid judgment was that the events had to have taken place during the past 9 months.

Making a successful transition Alan Shearer returned to St James Park to a hero’s welcome on Saturday.  Not since Kevin Keegan rode back in to town has anyone received such a reception from the Geordie faithful.  But with 7 games remaining and what is generally considered to be the toughest run-in amongst the clubs in [...]