Rory Marsden

UEFA handed Arsenal's Eduardo a two-match ban for diving against Celtic, a simulation that won the Gunners a penalty. FIFA have now banned Chelsea FC from signing any new players until January 2011 since it's been revealed Chelsea induced Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007. Kakuta now plays for Chelsea's youth […]

I found myself pondering Arsene Wenger's accusations of Sir Alex and United employing "Anti-Football". I've always been bemused by that term. Here are my (somewhat wandering) thoughts on the matter. What is this "Anti-Football"? Is it the opposite of the legendary Dutch concept of Total Football? Can we establish a spectrum where Anti-Football is at […]

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In this weekend's big clash, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United each walked away with a share of the spoils as they maintained their unbeaten starts and continued to improve their Championship football odds. After a quiet first period, the Baggies twice took the lead but twice found themselves pegged back by a persistent United […]

Eduardo steamed into the box. He shot past two Celtic defenders. Boruc charged out from his goal and slid to the ground but quickly realized he couldn't get to the ball. Boruc put on the brakes. His foot slid behind Eduardo and his arm bent back, clear of the striker. But Eduardo's body jerked forward as if […]

Last season Manchester United rarely looked their team-devouring best. They often struggled against the stubborn brick walls put up by sides they used to rout. They didn't dominate so much as scrape out the clutch wins. Loads of late goals in tight matches. Loads of slim margins. It wasn't a season of pure stellar performance, yet points are points and United […]

I have football-curious friends who want to come to the pub and watch Liverpool with me. So they say. See, they think watching Liverpool with me will be like watching regular season MLB, NBA or NFL games with me. That I'll be conversational. That I'll crack a lot of jokes. That I'll make plenty of eye contact. That I'll be that […]

When I first started watching English football, I rarely got to watch the league matches live. I worked in a bar with no TVs. My friends George and Noel would bring us VHS tapes of the weekend matches. George taped the Setanta matches and my Noel taped the FSC matches (often tacking on Sopranos episodes from HBO after each match). The […]

The Championship is set to return with a vengeance today as twenty two teams go head to head, before Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday do battle on Wednesday night. With the league table still taking shape, leaders Coventry will be hoping to cement their place at the top when they travel to Doncaster Rovers. Coventry started […]

Last week I made my Premier League New Year's Resolutions. One of which was to watch more of the matches. So on day one of the new season I trekked down to the pub to catch most of the Saturday fixtures (at least the ones being televised in the States). The Chelsea/Hull match was early […]

When Michel Platini drew up a new structure for Champions League qualifying, more shocks and more big games looked to be on the cards. As was so often the case in Platini's playing career, the Frenchman's tactic has come up with the goods, as Arsenal and Celtic will testify to, when they do battle tonight. […]

While I tell myself it's a long season and one result cannot shape the year, I can't help but look to the opening fixture for a sign of what's to come. I mean, I've been waiting all summer for this! Let me know with some great football that this is going to be a great season! […]

Read part 1 here. The Manchester City Experiment In an ideal world (read: my ideal world) Manchester City will finish in the exact same spot as last season. I'd love to see the cash they shelled out for players this summer come to naught in the table. I have nothing against City in general and […]

'Tis the season... The Premier League finally kicks off again tomorrow and I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I've been asking mummy for a shiny new League Title for months but I have this fear I'm destined for a pile of knee-socks and hand-knitted sweaters. Honestly, I might not sleep tonight. I'm that […]

Why do I care about the Golden Boot? What does it matter to me as a lover of a club? The Golden Boot doesn't guarantee titles (eh, Mr Anelka?) or even European placement (eh, Mr Phillips?) It is glory for the individual in a collective endeavor and should be a mere footnote to the supporter who hungers for team glory. "Should" […]