Thariq Amir

The big story in the Eredivisie has been the resurgence of PSV Eindhoven who had by their standards a disappointing campaign last season. 12 months ago Eindhoven were sitting in 9th place having lost six times in 17 league games. 2013/2014 was difficult all round for PSV, as Philip Cocu had to take time-off to remove […]

In terms of a title race it looks like it’s going to be a straight slug-fest between Juventus and Roma. The fight for the third Champions League position looks quite tasty though and that could be worth keeping an eye on too. There was a sense of uncertainty when Antonio Conte, who guided Juventus to […]

If anyone suggested that Paris Saint-Germain would be sitting in second let alone third going into the winter break they certainly would not have been met with a gallic shrug, quite the opposite in all likelihood. But that’s the state of play in Ligue 1 which is shaping to be the most keenly contested league […]

This season’s Bundesliga looks more of a procession than anything else. Bayern Munich are running away with the league and only a catastrophic collapse could see even a semblance of a title race. The chances of that happening with Pep Guardiola at the helm range from slim to none. Position Team Played Won Drawn Lost […]

The 10th edition of the biennial AFF Suzuki Cup has come to a close and the tournament delivered a final to remember. To say that the tussle between Malaysia and Thailand delivered thrills, spills and no little entertainment would be quite the understatement. A keenly contested final swung from one extreme to the other with the […]

It’s not a good time to be a manager in football if your name is Nigel. Nigel Atkins has been sacked as Reading manager whilst Nigel Pearson, if reports are to be believed, is clinging to his job at Leicester City. There is one name that has been linked to the Reading, Leicester and other […]

The Premier League’s December program is starting to click into full gear and plenty of eyes in South East Asia will be looking on the games with the usual fanatical interest. Football is huge in South East Asia, from Vietnam to Indonesia the appetite for the game is insatiable. Walk around streets of Malaysia or […]

You’re your country’s number one goalkeeper and it’s the 121st minute of a World Cup quarter-final. The match is scoreless and the prospect of a penalty shoot-out seems inevitable. You’re mentally preparing for what’s about to happen next when you glance at the fourth official on the sideline and see your number being held up. The […]

You know things are bad in the FIFA house when even the normally vocal Sepp Blatter is keeping a ‘dignified’ silence. In retrospect, it was probably too much to expect FIFA to get its act together and publish a full and thorough review of Michael Garcia’s report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. […]

With the January transfer window edging closer and closer, clubs are no doubt making preparations to ensure that they land their targets with a minimum amount of fuss. One such club is Arsenal who has been experiencing an indifferent season thus far. Recent reports have linked the Gunners with Mattia Destro, Aymeric Laporte and Clément […]

Scottish strikers have featured heavily in Everton’s history. Graeme Sharp, Andy Gray and Duncan Ferguson have all been heroes on the pitch for the Toffees. Steven Naismith has been impressive this season for Roberto Martinez’s side, though not quite reaching the heights of his fellow Scottish frontmen. Before they all made their mark, there was […]

The January transfer window is only a couple of months away and no doubt clubs are already plotting potential moves. There are some high profile players whose contracts will be up at the end of the season, most notably Sami Khedira, Dani Alves, Giorgio Chiellini and James Milner, to name but a few. However if […]

Valencia is currently sitting fourth in La Liga and only two points behind current leaders Barcelona. They’ve already beaten champions Atletico Madrid and look like a decent shout for a Champions League spot on current form. Los Che is being coached by Nuno Santo and assisting him is a 28-year-old Scot who made his name […]

The recently crowned World Cup champions, Germany, haven’t had the best of starts to their Euro 2016 qualification campaign. They won narrowly against a spirited Scotland side, lost for the first time in their history against Poland and were dramatically denied by a dogged, well-drilled Irish team. Joachim Löw has been vocal in his belief […]

“It’ll all be over by Christmas”. Alan Gowling (ex Manchester United striker) on the establishment of FC United. For what it’s worth I am a card-carrying member of FC United of Manchester. I made the decision to throw my support behind the club following the hostile takeover of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer. Though I […]