If Gus Johnson and FOX Sports have paid any attention at all to the commentary on Gus’s play-by-play match calling on Twitter and EPL Talk, they should be deeply concerned. From initial outbursts of outrage, much of the commentary has shifted to mockery and humor. This is not a good sign.

It is one thing to be considered controversial (witness Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless), but quite another to be considered a fool. While Smith and Bayless are simply presenting opinions, Gus Johnson is supposedly presenting us with a factual running account of a live soccer match. There is a huge difference.

Johnson’s poor and mistimed outbursts have become a laughing stock. His knowledge of the world’s game is so obviously lacking that fans have given up complaining about it and instead have taken to mocking it. No broadcaster’s reputation can long sustain itself when the viewers consider him a joke. FOX Sports and Johnson would do well to remove him from the European theater of soccer. He simply isn’t cut out for it.

FOX Sports has a much more competent play-by-play man in John Strong. He calls an even match, emphasizing things where they actually need it. If he’s reading from a cheat sheet a la Gus, you certainly can’t tell. The side information he gives is delivered in an appropriate time, place and manner, unlike Gus who seems to be reading from “Point #37” at the weirdest moments. I am reminded of the person who posted a comment on EPL Talk from the last Champions League match who wondered when we would hear what the Slovenian ref did for a living. It was funny, but all too true – which was unfortunate, to say the least. Viewers should not be wondering what bit of inanity will next come out of the commentator’s mouth. The match is the focus, not the commentator.

If I were Johnson, as hard as it might be, I would demand that FOX Sports Co-President and COO Eric Shanks get me out of European soccer commentating, posthaste. He tried. It didn’t work. He simply doesn’t have the background or style necessary to pull it off. Far better that he leave with that thought than that he becomes the focus of constant mockery, derision and satire and ruin his reputation altogether.

Someone posted weeks ago that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but I disagree wholeheartedly. Bad publicity has ruined more businesses and people than you can count. Once word of mouth starts to drag you down due to poor product or service, there is no stopping it. It’s time for the executives at FOX Sports and Gus himself to recognize this.

I do not dislike Gus Johnson. I’m sure he and I could have a great time discussing sports over a few pints. However, we all need to be cognizant of our strengths and weaknesses. Gus’s skill set is just not cut out for European soccer and it will do him and FOX Sports no good to keep trying to ram it down the fans’ throats. God may forgive the continuation of this experiment, but the fans and viewers never will.

Editor’s note: While Johnson has been so bad, it’s been funny. However, Ian Wright’s work behind the mic has been equally poor. Wright is a decent pundit, but an awful commentator. The two things that jump out at me are one, why does Wright seem to repeat all his points over and over again? It’s as if he can’t think of anything else to say, and is trying to fill dead air. And two, and perhaps more importantly, is FOX Sports doing any type of post-match review with Johnson and Wright to analyze, critique and help improve their work? Judging by their commentaries, there appears to be very little to no improvement from game to game.

The Gaffer’s food column last week got me to thinking. Are we Americanizing the UK or are they Anglicizing the US? For myself, I’m none too sure. I mean, I’ve just spent a Sunday morning making a breakfast out of lovely Staffordshire oatcakes that I whipped up from scratch. What is that all about? My Stoke fandom gone wild? UK moles working their way into my consciousness?

As a disclaimer, I should say that I’ve been to the UK twice. Mostly Scotland, with a shot down into northern England to see parts of Hadrian’s Wall. I suppose that has colored my thinking somewhat, but I really think that EPL Talk and my addiction to the Premier League are the true culprits.

I’ve been following the league for about 5 years and reading EPL Talk for just about as long. Over the years I have found little “UKisms” working their way into my thinking and vocabulary. I seldom think of football as “soccer” anymore. If I want to refer to our sport I will use NCAA or NFL with “football”. That’s not out of any snobbery. It’s just something that’s happened. I don’t care a twit about the usage of football v soccer. Culture is what culture is….but I’ve been “turned”.

I have found myself using “chuffed”, “you lot”, “spot on” and other strange wordings for no good reason at all. Actually, I blame this on the commentators I constantly hear and the postings on EPL Talk from UK natives and ex-pats who contribute to our conversations. To me, they are absolutely invaluable in my assimilation of the game and the culture that surrounds it, but they are eating their way into my brain! And then there’s Beckham, Adele, Rory, John Cleese, Alex Hammond, etc. On top of that, I read The Guardian and The Scotsman every day simply because I enjoy getting the view of things from a different perspective.

So, are we pushing McDonalds, et al, off onto our Motherland? Sure, but my experience is that outside of the big cities we have had little real impact. The village butcher, the bet shop, the pub, the dialects are still there. On the other hand, I sense British culture continuing to wheedle its way into my “Made in America” mind through the Premier League and EPL Talk. I don’t see how it can be stopped, although it has occurred to me that Gus Johnson may be some kind of government operative employed to try to staunch this inculcation of dangerous British ideas.

But, what about you? Am I alone here in my fantasies? Do I just need to increase my medication? Or do we need to raise the cry, “The British are coming!” once again?

With the transfer window coming up, we can all count on one thing for certain. There will be non-stop chatter about what teams must do if they are going to “push for the top” or “avoid relegation”. Rumors and arguments will be rampant. The blogosphere will be on full hype 24/7. There will be no peace until the window finally, blessedly closes with people blathering up to the last minute about possible deals. That got me to wondering…. and making tables.

Do the results of the January window historically justify all the hype and gnashing of teeth? Do we regularly see the deals that are made make a real difference in the outcome of the season for either the teams at the top or those at the bottom?

Judging by the tables I’ve created below the answer would appear to be, “Not really.” Given the mid-season verses the end-of-season standings for the last five years it’s hard to see that the dealings in the January transfer window have had any particular impact at all. So what’s all the fuss about? Can we all just take a break from all the silliness?

Take a look at the tables below to see how much of an impact the transfer window had after 19 games compared to the end of the season (of course, not every club bought players in the January transfer window).

I am the first to admit that comparative tables prove absolutely nothing when it comes to the EPL, but that doesn’t stop me from creating them and pondering over the results. After Wednesday’s matches, it occurred to me to take a look at last season at this time, 14 matches in. The table below shows total points at that juncture. Keep in mind that Wolves had 14, Rovers 10 and Bolton 9.

Take a look and tell me what you think. The only teams ahead of themselves from last year are WBA (+11), Everton (+6), Swansea (+6), Wigan (+5), Fulham (+2), Sunderland (+2) and Stoke (+1). Man Utd, with 33, and Norwich, with 16, are right where they were. Everyone else is in negative territory to varying degrees.

Points after 14 matches:

Is there anything in the tea leaves? Last year 37 points kept you up. What will it take this year? Transfer window aside, which teams have the potential to pick up the pace? Will someone collapse a la Wolves? Can Harry pull a miracle?

Share your opinions in the comments section below.

To simulate or not to simulate, that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler to stay on one’s feet or hit the ground and try to gain an advantage (sorry, Billy).

Yesterday’s incident with Fernando Torres once again throws one of soccer’s worst aspects up for inspection. Diving/simulation, call it what you will, is ruining our sport. Each flop, each hand to the face in agony, is an indictment. As a former coach and ref, as well as a fan, I am appalled at what I see happening. We are allowing this practice to continue to thrive and hold our game up to ridicule. Witness last year’s ESPN Sports Center promo.

It isn’t going to go away until the refs or the FA stand up and say, “Enough!” Of course, therein lays the rub. Exactly what do we do about it? How can we, if not eradicate simulation, at least deter it to the point where it no longer seems to be the poster child for the game?

The NBA, where flopping has become its own little epidemic, will implement a warning/fining/suspension policy this year using post-match video (pending a grievance filed by the players’ association). Both the A-League and MLS have policies in place that look to deter simulation through post-match review. One can debate the effectiveness of these policies, but at least they are in place and the leagues are attempting to do something about the problem.

On the other hand, the Premier League has nothing. They seem paralyzed by their stance that the refs can not be “weakened” by the use of post-match video review. If, the ref says he saw it, but felt there was nothing worthy of a card, then that’s the end of it no matter what the offense might have been. The refs themselves seem to be in a no win situation when it comes to enforcement of the law. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t….so most don’t and the problem gets worse.

So where do we go from here? Do we just wring our hands and say nothing can be done? Would post-match review help in the long run, even if it can not correct the infraction/advantage at the time? Should the FA direct the refs to start pulling more yellows like Mark Clattenburg? Or do we simply embrace simulation as part of the game and start scoring dives?

Let me have your thoughts and ideas, keeping in mind the words of Samuel Johnson:  “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.”

Did you ever have one of those nights where you wake up with a thought in your head that just won’t go away? Welcome to 4:00 AM: “Why am I enjoying the Euros more than the World Cup?” I think it comes down to two words. Size and geography.

With only 16 teams I can get my head around the whole tournament without suffering from graphical overload. I know the positions and possibilities of all the teams, which is truly amazing. It is unfortunate that the European Championships will be expanding to 24 teams next time around. For me, that is a prime example of more not necessarily being better.

The limited number of matches is a good thing. I do not have to give up an eternity to follow the Euros. Two matches a day in a good time period means I can easily watch both (yeah, I’m retired) and still get other stuff done during the day. There are no scheduling conflicts until the last match of the opening round. Three weeks and we’re done.

The competition has been very good. I certainly feel I know who the strongest and weakest teams are, but I don’t see any walkovers in the field. Each match has had an urgency for both teams that I certainly don’t remember in the World Cup. Having 24 teams in the Euros next time may destroy that. Are there actually 8 more teams we would want to see in this year’s tournament?

It also helps that I am a Premier League fan and many of the teams and players are already familiar to me. Even a small country like Croatia has multiple players I already know. Beyond that I am familiar with many players in the other European leagues simply from proximity. Here on EPL Talk, those leagues and players are frequently mentioned in articles and commentary about transfer possibilities and general chatter about league quality. I miss that familiarity during a World Cup, although I do enjoy discovering new players/teams.

The fact that the Euros are limited to the contiguous continental teams also adds a degree of interest that is missing from the WC. Many of these countries have a history of collaboration or rivalry that goes back centuries. Regardless of how those feelings stand today, you know that after every each and every match there will be fans somewhere saying, “Take that!” (among other things) with just a bit more relish than usual.

So, there you have it. That’s why I’m enjoying the Euros more than the World Cup and now that I have that off my chest I’m sure to have a better night’s sleep tonight. That is, as long as Ireland beat or tie Spain.

I know, I know. Could be another long night.

Last June, I wrote about my coming to grips with the fact that I was just never going to have a team in the Premier League. Not like many of you do. No team ever reached out and grabbed me. No team’s fate made me nervous, joyous or miserable. So neutrality, of a sort, became my motto. Root for the underdog. If there was no true underdog, then I always went for the home team. I figured they might as well be happy and chant and sing the afternoon away. This was a great year as a neutral fan.

The race for the title was fantastic. First, Manchester City had it wrapped up and then they didn’t. Then Manchester United had total control and lost it. City finally won it in the most dramatic of fashions. You couldn’t script that if you tried. It was glorious. And as a neutral, I was thrilled with the outcome. Not that you could actually think of City as underdogs, but they hadn’t won the League in its modern configuration. So, a new name goes on the trophy. Great.

Then we had the race for the Champions League qualification. Again, who could write up this stuff? Arsenal looked dead and buried. Newcastle and Tottenham both had great shots at the spots, but failed to cash in (literally). It went down to the last couple of matches and in the end, with the Champions League results, it will be the same old, same old next year. Blah. My underdog mentality was looking for fresh faces. Too bad, but a great season for Newcastle, nonetheless, and sadly, heartbreak for a 4th place Spurs side.

The relegation avoidance battle wasn’t nearly as nail biting as last year, but certainly had its tension on the last day. I kept flicking back and forth, wishing I had the picture-in-picture feature on my TV. In the end I was pleased that QPR stayed up. That made it all three newly promoted teams returning to the Prem for another season. Underdogs win! That brings me to the wee chink in my neutrality.

I have to confess that from day one I was intensely interested in Swansea City. They were almost unanimously chosen by bookies and pundits as the one new team that could not possibly survive. I had to root for them! Besides, I didn’t want The Gaffer to have a breakdown at the end of the season. And finally, we are a Welsh-proud household. My wife has direct connections to Swansea as her grandmother was the first of her family not born in that city, but in the U.S.

So, I did follow the Swans closely… and they drove me crazy for a while. Five hundred passes and not a single decent shot on goal! Arrgh!! But Brendan Rodgers knew what he was doing and just had his boys keep at it. Vorm was absolutely amazing, Britton fantastic and Gylfi a gem of a pick-up. However, I sweated with them throughout the season until they had about 36 points, which I thought might be enough to stay up this year. Fortunately they went on to play some great matches and were safe long before the season was over. Eleventh place! Take that bookies and pundits! So much for my neutrality.

By now, you’ve probably noticed that above picture of me wearing a jersey.

What can I say? I guess I just got tired of the incessant drumbeat of “Stoke this and Stoke that.” It seems to me that the commentary about Stoke is often intellectually lazy and doesn’t match reality. Just rehashing the old lines. Yes, they are last in the Fair Play Table, but only eighth in the reds/yellows scoring. The other categories seem wildly subjective to me and no doubt Stoke suffers because they do play a deliberate brand of football and have rather exuberant fans. However, I don’t see the problem.

The object of the game is to play within the rules and gain as many points as you can. Not everyone is going to be Barca, Arsenal or Swansea. Tony Pulis has his system and it seems to work pretty well for a small club like Stoke. They came up and they’re staying up. They’ve been to the final of the FA Cup and they have played in Europe. So, why the constant beatdown? On the other hand, look what we heard about Chelsea’s less than beautiful win in the Champions League (which I enjoyed, by the way).

On The Guardian, articles appeared talking about “Chelsea’s crucial double barrier” and “Di Matteo’s tactical boldness.” Now, replace Chelsea with Stoke and Di Matteo with Pulis. Those stories would never be written, right? It would all be about parked buses and anti-football. Eric Wynalda might give them some credit, but many others do not.

At this point many of you may be certain I’ve lost my mind, to say nothing of my neutrality, but it’s just the way my “root for the underdog” mentality has taken me. I doubt I’ll ever lose any sleep over Stoke’s weekly ups and downs, or Swansea’s for that matter. You’ll never see any “Potter/Swan till I die” notations on my posts, but I will be pulling for them both to win every match next year. I’ve found neutrality has its limits.

A special shout out to EPL Talk reader IanCransonsKnees for letting me know about a close-out on this year’s Stoke jerseys, purchasing one for me and then shipping it across the pond. See how nice Stoke fans are? Forgive me Delilah…

As a daily reader of EPL Talk and sometimes contributor, I generally pay close attention to the comments about articles. It is, after all, a form of entertainment all to itself. One of the things I really enjoy about the commentary is that it is usually of a caliber beyond what you find on many other blogs. Not too many raving lunatics and few posters who just seem mad at the whole world or suffering from keyboard diarrhea. Most of the regular posters make their points well and get out of the way. There is often a vein of humor in them that I particularly enjoy. I love that we have readers and posters from the Motherland who give us their up close and personal view of things.

However, I have noticed lately that when it comes to U.S. TV coverage of the game we all love, the commentary has had a tendency to become both heated and at times almost irrational. This is particularly true when anyone writes an article with the word “FOX” in it (did your eyes just get red?). It has led me to wonder, what is it we really want?

Have we gotten to the point in the U.S. that we have such great soccer coverage that there is nothing left for us to do but nitpick? “I want this anchor/pundit, not that one.” “I want/don’t want to see the other scores.” “He talks funny.” “I love/hate tape-delay.”

For myself, I am very pleased with where things are in terms of TV coverage. I get both FOX Soccer and FOX Soccer Plus in HD in the SportsPack for just $5.95 per month. I have ESPN2 and 3. I like Darke and McManaman. The changes in personnel at FOX Soccer have gotten me regularly watching the studio shows for the first time ever. My cup truly runneth over . . . but maybe yours doesn’t? What would it take to make you sit back and go, “Ahhhh” (other than another beer). Or is that impossible?

Give me the one or two things that would put a smile on your face and stop you from dropping barbs about the TV coverage in the comments section….at least for now.

What a trip! My family’s second visit to the UK — and everything went perfectly. Live football in a stadium with thousands of vocal fans. A thrilling come-from-behind draw after going down 3-1. Satisfaction and smiling faces walking out of the stadium and down crowded streets with the locals on their way to the pubs. Problem being it was an Scottish Premier League match—not the English Premier League, but stick with me here. I have a tale to tell and perhaps a lesson to share.

We love Scotland. What can I say? For our second trip we invited our son and daughter-in-law to go with us (no, we did not pick up the tab). My son, who works for Eurosport, is soccer-centric to say the least. He suggested right away that we try to catch a match on a travel day from the Western Highlands to the Borders. Being already familiar with the Edinburgh area and their Park & Ride system a Hearts or Hibs match seemed a good idea. Turns out Hibs were home to Dundee Utd, so that was the pick. Great planning.

Hibs were dead and buried in the relegation zone and Dundee weren’t too far above them. I get the bright idea that Newcastle isn’t too far away from the Borders and check their schedule. Blackburn visiting. Yes! Toon Army!! Umm. Time for a reality check. No knowledge of the Newcastle area. A long, long drive from the Western Highlands to Newcastle and then back up to the Borders and no wish to inflict my first time on the left side of the road driving skills on the poor unsuspecting pedestrians and motorists of Newcastle. Back to Plan A. We get tix to the Hibs v Dundee Utd match—*sigh*.

I needn’t have worried. It was a fantastic experience. Over 9,600 people (in a stadium that holds 15,000). The commentary from those around us and the reaction of the fans in general as the match wore on are unforgettable. The support for the goalie was particularly heartwarming, “Catch the fookin’ ball ‘ya shite!” No place for girls with delicate ears, but that would not include our wives.

What a mind-boggling atmosphere. Cheering, booing, cursing, clapping for almost every single movement of the ball. You never hear that over the TV here in the States. It is completely lost and absolutely amazing, which brings me back to the EPL. If that is what I experienced at a low level SPL match I can’t imagine what it would have been like had we made it to St. James Park. I wish.

However, my moral, if you will, is that if you are travelling overseas anywhere and have any chance at all of catching a match at whatever level—do it. Don’t let the opportunity pass just because it might not be the EPL. The resounding thump of the ball off a defender, the chants and songs, the passion of the fans are simply electric in a country where football is all that really matters when it comes to sports. In my particular case, the appreciation and happiness of the fans after coming back to snatch a draw after being down 3-1 was palpable. You could feel it as we filed out of Easter Road. I will have that total experience with me every time I watch a match on TV for the rest of my life. Not a bad return for £12 (senior concession prices, boys).

So, yes. Have that EPL dream and plan as previous writers have so well described, but don’t turn your nose up at something “less” if it’s available. You will have a memory that can never be erased or replaced that will only add to your lifetime pleasure as a football fan. Just think. I’m now a Hibee and get to follow their plight through the rest of the season hoping that sieve they call a defense can somehow hold up enough to help them avoid relegation. Another cross to bear. What a life.

Cheers—and sláinte.

Photo by bmeabroad

I tried. Really. For five years now I’ve been waiting for some team to strike me as my favorite. In the meantime I’ve gone with local “omens”. I live on Chelsea Circle so at first I went with them for a while, but it just didn’t click. I loved Drogba’s skill, but was dismayed at his seeming lack of ability to stay on his feet when challenged by some 150lb midfielder (how’s that for avoiding the “D” word?). Whether Chelsea won or lost didn’t seem to matter to me, so I moved on.

Fulham. Hey, Craven St. is just around the corner. Why not? I enjoyed watching Fulham. I liked the players and the Cottage is a unique venue. I was certainly concerned this year when they flirted with the relegation zone a little too much for my liking, but again, whether or not Fulham won or lost didn’t really eat me up. Time to face reality. I’m a neutral and probably always will be.

Maybe I needed to be born into it like my love for the Eagles, Phillies and Penn State. Although, since I moved away 12 years ago that has lost its edge, too. The teams, games and players aren’t in front of me every day like they used to be. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s because I’m a Pieces. Who knows? So what’s a fan of the game supposed to do without a team? Plan B.

Relax and just enjoy the competition, the Championship as well as the Prem. Root for underdogs or anyone dressed in tangerine, pink, yellow, etc. Hope that someone, anyone, beats out the big boys for a cup, title or CL spot, just to shake things up. Enjoy the moments, no matter who produces them. A laser-like Delap throw-in that befuddles a defense even though they know it’s coming. Chicharito’s exuberance. Cesc leaving someone’s jock on the pitch. Great goalie saves. Blind passes. Big upsets.

After all, the stories I enjoyed the most this year were Liverpool’s rise from the ashes under Dalglish, Stoke’s run in the FA Cup, Blackpool’s roller coaster ride (I hated to see them go down, but you can’t give up 78 goals and expect anything better) and the Championship Playoffs. At any rate, for next season I’m going to keep that up. Not focus on a “Team” as much as the stories and events. I can stop waiting for lightning to strike and just enjoy the competition for what it is. I think that will suit me just fine.

Anyone else out there with my affliction?

NTID! (though I kinda like the Swans……*sigh*)

Now that the Gameweek 22 matches have ended in the Premier League, it makes you wonder. I don’t see anyone playing outstanding football or even close to it. Just when one of the top clubs seems to have the chance to kick some dirt in their rivals’ collective faces they come a cropper. True, there is plenty of time left for someone to light up and take off and it is difficult to point too many fingers at an undefeated, if uninspired, Manchester United.

However, this question got me to wondering how teams are doing in comparison to last year on a projected year end basis.

Who is more or less on target and who is falling off the earth? That led me to the above unscientific analysis of team points after half the matches this year and team points at the end of last season. I realize the flaws in my method, but found the results interesting nonetheless. Take the team’s half season total for this year and double it (projected end of season). Compare that to the team’s total points from last year.

Look at the difference and ponder. Any thoughts?

John Nicholson’s interesting article on “England’s Problem” raises more than one perplexing question. If England’s difficulties on the world stage are indeed a result of the historic, endemic mindset of the English game, what can or should be done about it?

Do England just keep on doing their thing and hope through some weird alignment of the stars that they will one day catch lightning in a bottle? Does inserting Harry Redknapp as manager somehow increase the possibility of that happening……England playing like Spurs?

If not, is it possible to change the mindset of an entire league? Should you even try? After all, playing in the Prem is about winning that title. So teams play the style of football that seems to give them the best chance of doing that……the English game.

It’s not as if we don’t see highly skilled players in the EPL. They are everywhere. Unfortunately, when you go to pick a national squad most of those truly gifted players seem to be from another country. England is left with, well, English players. Back to square one.

I realize I have created a circular argument here and that is my point. It does seem like the world game may have passed England by, but I’m not sure what you do about it, even if it’s true. Or is it all down to the manager? Is it just that simple? In any event, scurrying around and mouthing off like Chicken Little every time England “fail” accomplishes nothing. As John pointed out in his article, given their style of play, why should anyone be surprised?

Is there really a “solution” or are we just a bunch of dogs chasing our tails?

I read yesterday that Nani has declared, “Now I can say I am one of the top players in the world.” After picking myself up off the floor I thought, “You idiot. You’re not even one of the top players in the Prem, let alone el mundo.” That of course, begs the question, “Who are the top players in the Premier League?”

Give me your top 5-10 on form players in the EPL right now. Who is being dominant? Who is really lighting things up and sparking his team?

And if anyone says, “Nani”, well, it could get ugly.

I know. I know. It’s only seven games into the season, but I guarantee there wasn’t anyone predicting that after seven matches Liverpool and Everton would be desperately trying to keep their noses ahead of Wolves and West Ham.

At some point you have to the stop the “It’s only [insert number of matches] into the season” and figure out what to do about it. Seven matches equals roughly 20% of the season. Assuming that no team can simply throw a switch and perform a 180, how long can this go on before changes are contemplated? Are they really that bad? What are these two teams to do?

The first two canned phrases that come to mind are “Moyes has done all he can at Everton and it’s time for the club to move on.” Followed by “Hodgson is out of his depth with a big-time club like Liverpool.”

Is it really that simple? That’s not a loaded question. I am only asking. Would bringing in a new manager at this point really make a difference in terms of turning the ship around (and who would that be)? Are both teams’ problems merely a reflection of the managers’ abilities/inabilities or are they more a matter of lack of player talent/cohesiveness….or both?

In their present situations I don’t believe you can directly compare the two managers. Moyes has been with Everton since 2002, so you can fairly lay any player acquisition/development problems at his feet. Hodgson has been dealt a deck of cards he might rather not have, but nonetheless is responsible for developing to the best of his abilities. This is not a Moyes versus Hodgson question, but rather a “What’s to be done in each case?” scenario.

I am interested in reading your thoughts. What must each club do to right the ship….before it’s too late? Have at it.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been a sports fan….both active and passive. Growing up outside of Philadelphia I had plenty to follow even in those days: the Eagles, the Phillies, the A’s, the Warriors. Yeah, I know, I’ve been around a while. Those other teams, the Sixers and Flyers, didn’t come till later, but I followed them too.

I was what you would call a traditional American sports fan. In order, I cared about:

1. Football–NFL
2. Baseball–MLB
3. Basketball–NBA
4. Kate Smith (Philly joke)

I don’t exactly remember where or when I started to stray. Maybe it was 1961 when Wide World of Sports debuted. Who knew people played those sports? For that matter who knew they were sports in the first place? I think that was where I saw my first Aussie Rules action and the rest, as they say, is history.

I became more and more interested in what you might call “world” sports. Of course, back then, before Al Gore invented the Internet, it was a whole lot harder to get information, so basically I had a fascination with few ways to satisfy it. Then I went to Penn State.

Welcome to big-time sports, sonny boy. What a revelation. It wasn’t just the football. PSU had just about every sport imaginable. I went to see most of them and inexplicably wound up on the fencing team. Fencing? Who the hell fences? Mostly people with unpronounceable last names is what I found out. But that was probably the final nail in the coffin of my traditional sports interest.

Fast forward to the beginning of the “Information Age.” I still have the itch and now am more able to satisfy it. With more outlets I can sample and follow pretty much any sport I want. My sports interests have certainly altered.

My list had become:

1. Football–NCAA
2. Football–NFL
3. Aussie Rules
4. Baseball–MLB

The Internet becomes a supernova. Somewhere along the way I start refereeing, then coaching, scholastic soccer. I discover rugby. I still yearn for more Aussie Rules. I stumble upon a Premier League forum while looking for something else. Whoops. The hook is set.

I get a broadband subscription so I can watch the EPL. I get another so I can watch Super 14 rugby. I get a third so I can watch the Australian Football League. The Information Age is not kind to my pocketbook. What on God’s green earth is going on? Well, it’s simple really. All those sports are now “better” to me than the ones I grew up with. Whether it’s a running clock, the more continuous flow of the matches, lack of ad breaks or the fascination with different skills and tactics, my list of top sports is now:

1. Soccer–EPL
2. Rugby (northern hemi as well as southern)
3. Football–NCAA
4. Aussie Rules

I’m not sure that’s so much evolution as revolution, nor do I necessarily recommend that journey to anyone else. I do, however, wonder two things:

• Has anyone else been down that road?
• What is your list of favorite sports?

I am particularly interested in the responses to #2 from our English readers. Are there sports interests outside of football for you, personally? Your passion for the game makes me wonder if there is room for anything else.

McBride is most known in the United States as a star for the national team. A decade of solid performances punctuated by moments of absolute brilliance. His eventually game-winning goal against Portugal in the 2002 World Cup is one of the most famous in U.S. history, rivaled only by Donovan’s 2010 goal against Algeria and Gaetjen’s 1950 winner against England. But it was his tenure in the EPL that endeared him to the English public and paved the way for other Americans to make the jump to the world’s most competitive league.

Following a couple of sucessful loans at Preston North End and Everton, McBride moved from the MLS to Fulham for a paltry £1.5 million in 2004.  He arrived as an aging (already 31) American striker from a league few respected with zero expectations. Four years later, he left with 40 goals and a Craven Cottage bar named after him. Fans chanted his name when he saved Fulham from relegation and commentators marveled at his scoring ability.

His work ethic and humility were a welcome reprieve from the egotistical narcasissm exibited by most professional athletes. He never complained, never showboated and always put the team above himself. It was those qualities that convinced Roy Hodgson to award McBride the captain’s armband in 2007, a first for an American.

Gerrard Backs Capello Ahead Of Euro 2012 Qualifiers

English captain Steven Gerrard has defended Fabio Capello ahead of England’s first Euro qualifiers versus Bulgaria and Switzerland, calling the cries for his ousting “crazy.”

“It’s important Fabio is still given a chance. Who out there, that’s an English manager, has the CV Fabio Capello has got?” said Gerrard, referring to the popular opinion in the British media that the Three Lions’ next manager should be English. “It would be a knee-jerk reaction to sack a manager after one bad tournament then think everything will be rosy when you start with a new guy and we’ll go on and win the Euros. That’s crazy.”

Gerrard also hinted that Capello would not change his traditional 4-4-2 formation. “Criticism doesn’t seem to affect him,” he said. “He’s not changed. His routines are similar, training’s similar. We’ve been through the mistakes we made and the things we need to do to improve.

Eriksson Interviews For Villa Job

Former English manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been interviewed as a potential successor to Martin O’Neill at Aston Villa.

ESPN Soccernet is reporting that Eriksson, who was also a candidate for the Fulham position before it went to Mark Hughes, met with Villa this week. Eriksson’s representatives refused to confirm or deny the negotiations are taking place.

Eriksson is reportedly on the top of Villa’s shortlist, which includes Alan Curbishley, Ronald Koeman, Gianfranco Zola and Gerard Houllier, all of whom, save Koeman, have coached in the EPL before.

Carragher Close To Contract Extension

Liverpool are close to signing an extension with 32-year-old vice-captain Jamie Carragher.

Carragher, who was left out of England’s Euro qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland, has been at Anfield for 14 years.

“I have spoken to the managing director, Christian Purslow, and we’ve had a good chat about the new contract. I’m sure it will happen,” said Carragher yesterday. “The most important thing was for the club to get the ins and outs sorted before the transfer deadline. That’s done now so I’m sure we will have something sorted out in the next week or two.”

Before we even get into the swing of things the Premier League is taking a break for European qualifiers. But in the absence of EPL action this weekend it seems like an appropriate time to reflect on the early stages of league play. So far, Chelsea can’t be stopped at home, Blackpool are no pushovers, and, in Manchester City’s case, money can’t buy results, at least not initially. This week we saw the European hangover bite Manchester City and Tottenham while Wigan let us know they’re not relegated just yet. As always, feel free to leave your criticisms and submit your own rankings in the comments section. You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/Johnbo01 or email me at jboschini89@gmail.com

1. Chelsea (Last week, one)

It wasn’t another 6-0 blowout but Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday was as solid as they come. Stamford Bridge is a fortress and Florent Malouda is fast becoming one of the elite players in the Premier League, having four goals in three games. But for all the accolades being laid on the offense the Chelsea defense, which has gone 679 minutes without conceding a goal, that has been dominant. A cause for concern? Frank Lampard has missed three straight penalty kicks so Didier Drogba take that role from now on.

2. Manchester United (Last week, two)

While Manchester United isn’t wowing anyone with spectacular goals or 6-0 blowouts, Sir Alex’s men are still a strong title contender. Wayne Rooney finally got on the scoresheet and, I never thought I’d say this but, Dimitar Berbatov is one of the most entertaining strikers in the early stages of the campaign.

3. Arsenal (Last week, three)

Welcome to the Premier League, Theo Walcott. The four goals Walcott has scored through three games equals his career high for an entire season but what’s most encouraging is his vastly improved, in-game intelligence. Arsenal are a substantial ways back from Chelsea and Manchester United but are in no real danger of conceding the third spot for now.

4. Manchester City (Last week, four)

To be fair, the Stadium of Light is a difficult place to win but to get zero points against a team like Sunderland does not bode well for Manchester City. Recent departures Stephen Ireland and Craig Bellamy have blasted Roberto Mancini’s managerial tactics. Loyal City supporters will chalk it up to sour grapes but City needs to start playing up the their potential, and soon. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan expects to win immediatly and the easiest scapegoat is always the manager. They are still have enough talent to beat any team on any given day but when will they start playing like it?

5. Bolton Wanderers (Last week, six)

Three games in and the Wanderers are still unbeaten. The midfield continues to perform well and no one should count on getting points off of Owen Coyle’s side this season.

6. Tottenham Hotspur (Last week, five)

The big concern for Spurs coming into the season was how the Champions League would affect their league form. The early answer is….adversely. The joyous victory over Young Boys, and the field-day headline writers had with it, was quickly forgotten as relegation-favorites Wigan embarrassed them at home.

7. Liverpool (Last week, seven)

A narrow victory over West Brom isn’t the type of thing Liverpool supporters would normally get excited about, but this isn’t a normal season at Anfield. Not only was it the first victory of the season, and a nice rebound from the embarrassment suffered against Manchester City, for Roy Hodgson but Fernando Torres returned to the scoresheet with a goal. Hodgson said the Spanish striker is still a few weeks away from being 100% match fit so things are looking up, if only slightly, in Liverpool.

8. Birmingham City (Last week, nine)

In only their second consecutive season in the Premier League Alex McLeish is unhappy with a win and two draws. Birmingham easily could be near the top of the table with seven points from three games but a late defensive collapse against Bolton keeps them at five. They have to start playing the full 90 but all the predictions of a “sophomore slump” look unfounded and Birmingham are looking dangerous.

9. Aston Villa (Last week, 13)

What to make of Aston Villa? Consistency is not something found in, or anywhere around, Villa Park through the first three games.Villa will use the international break to assess the performance of Kevin MacDonald, who’s case was boosted with a 1-0 victory over Everton this weekend.

10. Newcastle United (Last week, 10)

Andrew who? That’s the question everyone except Magpies supporters were asking when Andrew Carroll scored a hat trick against Aston Villa. Then a vital equalizer against Wolverhampton continued his impressive start to the season. Upcoming fixtures against Blackpool, Stoke and Everton give the newcomers an opportunity to break into the top half of the table.

11. Wolverhampton Wanderers (Last week, 11)

If Wolves had managed to hold on for a victory against Newcastle this weekend it would have been the best start to a Premier League season in their history. They’re not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination but could this be a blessedly uneventful season at Mollineux stadium with no relegation threat? Mick McCarthy certainly hopes so.

12. Fulham (Last week, eight)

Fulham has shown some spirit with two consecutive comeback draws but a draw to Blackpool must be seen as two points dropped. Is anyone else seeing the pattern in Mark Hughes’ teams? Bobby Zamora and Mark Schwarzer returning from injury should give Craven Cottage a boost.

13. Sunderland (Last week, 13)

For all the weaknesses at Sunderland they still possess an elite striker. Darren Bent’s cool penalty upset the high-powered Manchester City in one of the more surprising results of the young season. Up next, they travel to Wigan in a game they really should win.

14. Blackpool (Last week, 17)

A late Fulham equalizer robbed the Tangerines of a thrilling victory in their home Premier Lague debut but Ian Holloway will be happy with the point. Blackpool are not the pushovers everyone pegged them as and their team chemistry is impressive for a club with so many new parts. Their inability to make any real splash in the transfer market could prove costly if injuries strike.

15. Everton (Last week, 12)

One point from three games is not the type of thing that should be associated with a team that beat Chelsea and Manchester United last spring. The Toffees, more than any other EPL side, are most in need of the international break to get their bearings. The funny thing is that Everton have been arguably the better team in all three of their fixtures but have come away with only one point combined. One costly mistake in each instance was the difference between a draw and a win or a loss and a draw. They’re still a powerful side but are having trouble showing up for the occasion.

16. West Bromwich Albion (Last week, 15)

Three points from three game is exactly where West Brom are expected to be. The lack of a real striker will prevent them from ever rising out of a relegation battle but they could survive on the back of nicking a few surprises and holding serve at home.

17. Blackburn Rovers (Last week, 14)

After an opening-weekend victory over Everton, Blackburn have dropped two consecutive matches by one-goal margins. Their prospects were dealt a big blow when the transfer window closed before the club’s sale to Ahsan Ali Syed, who is now in hot water over alleged business infractions, became final. If Syed is successful in buying the club and follows up with his promise of a large transfer budget for Sam Allardyce then Blackburn could be a much stronger side in the second half of the season once the transfer window reopens.

18. Wigan Athletic (Last week, 20)

In what was no doubt the shock of the weekend, Wigan broke their slump by upsetting Tottenham at White Heart Lane. It was a much-needed shot in the arm for Roberto Martinez’s club and should give them confidence ahead of a winnable home matchup against Sunderland. But let’s not forget that this is still the Wigan who scored zero goals and conceded 18 over their previous three games and it will take more than the occasional shocker to rescue their season.

19. Stoke City (Last week, 18)

Stoke, like Everton, have played well in their three matches but zero points is still zero points. At the end of the season no bonuses are awarded for wrongfully-disallowed goals or only losing by two at Samford Bridge. In a Premier League that will axe a manager at the first sign of trouble Tony Pulis might be in danger.

20. West Ham United (Last week, 19)

These are not pleasant times in the east end of London and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. It could be October before the Hammers get their first point of the campaign. Even Avrahm Grant think West Ham won’t be able to find their legs until 10-15 games into the season. Horray for confidence!

I don’t think Lampard is done anymore than I think that about Terry or Gerrard, but EPL Talk blogger Jesse Chula raised an interesting point about how long England can stick with the “Golden Generation” and realistically expect success. The same question might just as easily be asked about their club teams and the teams of other aging stars. Believe me, it is painful for me to use the term “aging” when referring to players who have fewer than half my years, but when do you start not only discussing the question, but doing something about it?

Sure, older players can still have tremendous impact. See Scholes and Giggs. However, Sir Alex Ferguson is not going to run them into the ground or try to pack the team on their backs. Indeed, he seems to know exactly how to mix and match veterans with younger players to achieve maximum results. Can you say “Chicharito”?

When do you make the leap of faith and stop capping a player simply because he has been capped before? On a club, when do you start subbing out or not starting your high mileage star? Do you wait for obvious collapse?

Last year, before his injury, I thought Aaron Ramsey should have been on the field a lot more for Arsenal, but Arsene didn’t ask me. Go figure.

With all that in mind, I wonder who you readers see as being the future of English football in terms of young players, for country or club (club players may obviously be from anywhere). I’m looking for new blood or little used. Who needs to see more time on the pitch? Is there someone hiding out in the Championship? Give me some names. I’ll go first.

• England: Hart and Stockdale (risky, huh?).
• Arsenal: Wilshere, as long as he stays out of trouble.
• Man. Utd.: Uh, Sir Alex Ferguson is already on it.

Capello Names England Squad Ahead Of Euro Qualifiers

Jermain Defoe was the surprise inclusion of the England squad ahead of the Three Lion’s first Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

The striker was supposed to have groin surgery after Tottenham’s resounding victory over Young Boys booked their place in the Champions League group stages but the surgery has been delayed yet again. Defoe is joined up top by his club striking partner Peter Crouch. John Terry, Frank Lampard and Bobby Zamora were ruled out due to injury and Matthew Upson is given another chance in central defense after falling out of Capello’s favor. England face Bulgaria at Wembley this Friday before traveling to Switzerland next Tuesday.

Full England Squad:

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson, Ben Foster, Joe Hart

Defenders: Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Matthew Upson

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, Adam Johnson, James Milner, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young

Forwards: Darren Bent, Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney

Fabiano Spurns Tottenham

Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano has decided to stay at La Liga side Sevilla instead of making the jump to Tottenham.

Speculation was abound last week when Sevilla, who’s business model depends on Champions League play, was eliminated in qualification by Braga. Fabiano joined Sevilla in 2005 and signed a two-year contract extension this morning.

“It’s a very happy day. This is my home, I’ve been here six seasons and I will try to continue scoring goals and continue making history for Sevilla. It’s a very special day for me,” said Fabiano, who has scored 95 goals for the club.

Grant: It Could Take 10-15 Games For West Ham To Get Going

West Ham United are on the verge of their worst start to a Premier League campaign in their history but manager Avram Grant has told supporters it could take a little longer for the Hammers to find their legs.

“It’s only the beginning of the season so we cannot make any conclusions after three weeks,” he told the club’s official website. “We must wait for 10-15 games to see our direction. Chelsea is a tough fixture and I can’t ever remember a team at our level having such tough fixtures at the beginning of the season. But these are fixtures we have been given and, in football, anything can happen. We have two weeks to think about things. We can become stronger.”

Three more Premier League clubs were in second-round action in the Carling Cup today. Here’s a recap of all of the action.

Fulham 6, Port Vale 0

Continuing the trend of 6-0 scorelines, Fulham routed Port Vale to advance to the third-round of the Carling Cup.

Zolton Gera and Bobby Zamora scored doubles while Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele scored their first goals of the season. Gera opened the scoring after just 10 minutes and Dembele marked his debut with a left-footed strike 16 minutes later. Zamora got his first in the 36th minute before Gera completed his brace just before half time to increase the Cottager’s lead to four at the break.

Zamora scored his second just after the hour mark and American international Dempsey completed the route of the League Two side with a 70th minute strike.

Accrington Stanley 2, Newcastle United 3

Newcastle United advanced to the third round of the Carling Cup at the expense of Accrington Stanley in an entertaining match at The Fraser Eagle Stadium.

Ryan Taylor’s long-range strike put the Magpies ahead 36 minutes in before Ray Putterill equalized  just before halftime. But the visitors regained the lead three minutes after the break courtesy of Shola Ameobi’s low strike. Peter Lovenkrands scored the eventual game winner in the 68th minute. Sean Hessey pulled one back for the League Two side in injury time but it was little more than a consolation.

Everton 5, Huddersfield 1

Everton secured their first competitive win of the season with an emphatic win over 10-man Huddersfield.

Marouane Fellaini and Jack Rodwell put the hosts up early with goals in the first 15 minutes. An own goal by John Heitinga halved the deficit but a Jermain Beckford penalty in the 50th minute put the same out of reach. It was the goal for new-signing Beckford, who joined the Toffees from Leeds United over the summer.

Louis Saha and Leon Osman scored in the final 15 minutes to turn a comfortable win for Everton into a route.

Defoe Could Play Against Young Boys But Will Miss Euro Qualifiers

Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe could play through injury in tonight’s Champions League qualifying clash with Young Boys but will miss England’s first two Euro 2012 qualifiers with a groin strain.

Defoe has been nagged by injury since the World Cup and will undergo surgery sometime next week. Spurs expect the striker to be out for close to a month but will play through pain tonight.

“He’s not trained a lot,” said Spurs manager Harry Redknapp. “When he has trained, he’s been all right, he’s been sticking goals in. But then he’s had days off where he couldn’t train. And he’s getting worse, he’s getting worse all the time. Sixty minutes is about as much as he can last.”

MacDonald Given Two Games To Secure Villa Coaching Job

Interim Aston Villa manager Kevin MacDonald has been given two matches to convince Randy Lerner that he is the right man to take over the club on a full-time basis.

MacDonald followed his opening-day, 3-0 victory against West Ham with a 6-0 thumping by Newcastle over the weekend. Lerner and the rest of the Villa board have chosen to view the defeat as an anomaly and will give MacDonald a chance to redeem himself. If the Scottish manager is unsuccessful Lerner is likely to turn to Sven-Goran Eriksson or USA coach Bob Bradley, both of whom have expressed interest in the job.

Villa’s next two fixtures are a Europa League qualifying clash with Rapids on Thursday and a home matchup against Everton on Sunday

Taylor Set To Leave Newcastle

Newcastle defender Steven Taylor will be put on the transfer market after he and the club failed to reach a new deal.

The 24-year-old’s contract runs out at the end of the season and the Magpies didn’t want to lose him on a free transfer. “We can confirm that Steven Taylor is on the transfer list,” a club spokesman said. Owner Mike Ashley is known for his conservation in regards to wage bills and is not likely to renegotiate Taylor’s contract.

Liverpool and Chelsea are the most likely destinations for Taylor, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery.

Round 2 of the Carling Cup kicked off today and several EPL teams were in action. Blackpool were dumped out courtesy of MK Dons while eight EPL squads advanced to the third round. Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s Cup action.

MK Dons 4, Blackpool 3

A 110th minute goal by Lewis Guy gave League One side MK Dons an upset victory over Blackpool.

Sam Baldock put the hosts ahead in just the first minute. Brett Ormerod eqaulized for the Tangerines, who were without manager Ian Holloway, seven minutes after half time but MK Dons were up by two just five minutes later courtesy of a pair of goals from Jermaine Easter. Ludovic Sylvestre scored for Blackpool just a minute later to cap an eventful six minutes which saw four goals.

Blackpool were even after Charlie Adam’s penalty kick in the 82nd minute but Guy’s late winner secured advancement for MK Dons. It’s a disapointing result for Blackpool, who were looking to rebound after a 6-0 loss to Arsenal over the weekend.

Blackburn 3, Norwich 1

Senegalese international Mame Biram Diouf celebrated his first start for Blackburn with a hat trick against Championship side Norwich City.

Diouf, on a season-long loan from Manchester United, scored the opener on the half-hour mark with a header off of Christopher Samba’s flick on. Blackburn continued to dominate the game but couldn’t find an insurance goal until Diouf’s 80th-minute rebound put the game beyond doubt. The 22-year-old completed his hat trick four minutes later with a point-blank header. Berthal Askou’s ruined Blackburn’s clean sheet in the 90th minute but it served as little more than a consolation.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2, Southend United 1

A last-gasp winner deep into extra time by Richard Stearman saved Wolves an embarrassing defeat to League Two side Southend United.

Nenad Milijas put the hosts ahead in the 27th minute with a penalty kick after Sam Winnall was taken down inside the box. Wolves looked to be on cruise control before the Shrimpers equalized in the 80th minute. Craig Easton’s low header beat Wayne Hennessey to force extra time.

After nearly 30 minutes of extra time Stearman’s managed to direct Ronald Zubar’s cross across the line to give Wolves the victory.

Stoke City 2, Shrewsbury Town 1

Two first-half goals from Jon Walters and Tuncay Sanli secured Stoke City a third-round birth in the Carling Cup.

Walter’s goal, his first ever for Stoke, came in the 26th minute when his glancing header beat Shrewsbury keeper Chris Neal. Sanli’s header 11 minutes later put the game out of reach for the League Two side before half time.

Steven Leslie’s 79th minute was little more than a consolation for Shrewsbury.

Sunderland 2, Colchester United 0

A brace by Darren Bent secured easy advancement for Sunderland in a comfortable victory over Colchester United.

Both of Bent’s goals came in the first half and were made possible by gaffes from Colchester goalkeeper Mark Cousins. Cousins misjudged a long ball from Boudewijn Zenden and allowed Bent an easy header into a gaping net. Eighteen minutes later, a similar error gave Bent his second.

It’s now three goals in three games for the English striker, who scored 25 goals last season.

Wigan 3, Hartlepool 0

Wigan sucesfully rebounded from a woeful Premier League start to dispatch Hartleepool United.

An own goal by Sam Collins gave Wigan the early lead while second-half strikes from Garcia-Penche Jordi Gomez and Victor Moses gave Wigan some insurance. Roberto Martinez is looking to inject some morale into a side who have yet to score in league play while conceding 10 goals of their own.

Ali Al Habsi pulled off several fantastic save to preserve Wigan’s lead in the first half, which came by way of an unlucky deflection off Collins in the third minute. Gomez doubled the lead with a fantastic free kick which deflected in off the underside of the crossbar. Substitute Moses completed the victory with a simple strike from just outside the box.

Southampton 0, Bolton 1

Bolton remain unbeaten this season after a narrow win over League One side Southampton booked their place in the third round.

Ivan Klasnic’s lone strike just after the half-hour mark was enough for Bolton, who were outshot 16 to four. Adam Bogdan made his debut for Owen Coyle between the posts and was tested early and often. A string of fine saves kept the visitors in front until the final whistle.

West Ham United 1, Oxford United 0

Scott Parker rescued West Ham from yet another embarassment with a stoppage-time winner against Oxford United.

Avrahm Grant’s men have been struggling in league play, having recieved zero points from two games so far, and elimination at the hands of a League Two side would have been devestating. Oxford were organized and stubborn in defense throughout much of the match. It took a well-placed cross from Frederic Piquionn and a smashing finish from Parker to advance West Ham to the third round.

Leyton Orient 0, West Bromwich Albion 2

West Brom advanced to the third round of the Carling Cup despite fielding a weakened side in anticipation of an Anfield trip this weekend.

A first-half goal by Pablo Ibanez put the visitors up early while a stoppage time strike from Chris Woods put the result beyond all doubt.

After week two of the Barclay’s Premier League the goals have continued to flow. Chelsea are off to the best start for any club in England’s top division since 1888 and there have already been four games with at least six goals scored. This seemed like a high time to debut EPL Talk’s official power rankings. Updated every Tuesday, these rankings will sort EPL clubs from 1-20. Feel free to leave your own lists/criticisms of this list in the comments section.

1. Chelsea

The departure of Joe Cole and Michael Ballack rose red flags around Stamford Bridge about whether or not Chelsea could match their torrid scoring pace of last season. Twelve goals in two games seems to have answered that question emphatically. Granted, West Brom and Wigan aren’t exactly the elite of the Premier League but the Blues dominance is difficult to overlook. But their John Terry and the rest of Chelsea’s defense needs to be tested by a quality side before their position at the top becomes permanent.

2. Arsenal

Welcome back Theo Walcott. A hat trick, albeit against Blackpool, is a good start on the road to realize the 21-year-olds vast potential. Arsenal is looking like a side without any glaring weaknesses, goalkeeping aside, but no real stars. If Walcott can build on this performance than Arsenal can make a legitimate challenge to Chelsea and Manchester United.

3. Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson will be disapointed not to have all six points after two games after a draw at Craven Cottage but the Red Devils are still a title contender. Giggs and Scholes are showing that age doesn’t have to be a detriment and Javier Hernandez, while still learning, is looking like a valuable addition at Old Trafford. Own goals continue to pour in but one has to wonder how long United can survive without Rooney contributing.

4. Manchester City

The big-spending Manchester City still needs awhile to gel but Joe Hart’s unbelievable form is keeping Manchester City afloat and dangerous. James Milner is already looking worthy of his hefty price tag and Carlos Tevez is picking up where he left off last season. Questions remain about Roberto Mancini’s managing and his relationship with his players but there’s simply too much talent at Eastlands for many teams to challenge them.

5. Tottenham

The results from Tottenham’s first two matches are exactly how one would want to start off an EPL campaign. A draw against free-spending Manchester City and a win against Stoke is a good start but they haven’t looked like a team ready to retain their top-four status. Garreth Bale is a very early candidate for player of the year but he can’t do it alone. As the season goes on we’ll see how Harry Redknapp’s team juggles Europe and their League duties but it’s par for the course so far.

6. Bolton

Bolton were a mid-table side for nearly all of last season, never really threatened by relegation and never looking likely to make a charge towards the top of the table. Some key additions in the midfield have done a world of difference and don’t be surprised if Bolton are hovering around a European spot come May.

7. Liverpool

A decent performance against Arsenal was followed up by a total dismantling at the hands of Manchester City. Liverpool’s stars, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, are all out of form and Pepe Reina is looking like a liability in goal. Roy Hodgson has absolutely mad a positive impact on the club since his arrival but will the off-field turmoil have a detrimental effect on the team’s performance as we get deeper into the fall?

8. Fulham

Fulham look like a side who know how to grind out results with two hard-fought draws. With no European competition to distract them this season, don’t look for Fulham to fade down the stretch like they did last year. They don’t look like a top-seven side as of yet but they should not be underestimated.

9. Birmingham

The surprise of the EPL last season is off to a fine start with a come from behind draw against Sunderland followed by a come from behind victory over Blackburn. Ben Foster, looking to fill the shoes left by Joe Hart, endured himself to the Birmingham fans with a superb penalty save against Blackburn.

10. Newcastle United

A 6-0 thrashing of Aston Villa probably said more about Villa’s turmoil than Newcastle’s talent but they still look like a team likely to stay out of the Championship for another year. Andy Carroll’s hat trick should boost his confidence and give the Magpies an attacking edge going forward, assuming they don’t sell him by next Tuesday.

11. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy drew a bit of criticism for saying that he would be happy with simply avoiding relegation and he’s off to a good start. Four points from two games is a fine start for Wolves who look to build on their survival last season.

12. Everton

Everton’s slow starts are becoming all too predictable and the sooner David Moyes’ side snap out of it the better. Everton are likely to retain Steven Pienaar which should help their cause but their tendency for one dire mistake per game is the difference between their one point from two games rather than four. Everton will inevitably find their form and become one of the top six or seven teams in the league but will it be before they fall into too deep a hole?

13. Aston Villa

Maybe it was James Milner’s departure or maybe it was Kevin MacDonald’s decided lack of enthusiasim for management but Villa’s 6-0 defeat to newcomers Newcastle was as ugly a performance as you’ll see in the Premier League. The inability to recover from a missed penalty raises major questions about this team’s mental state.

14. Blackburn Rovers

At times it’s difficult to remember that Blackburn is even in the Premier League. Not that they are bad, they’re just a incredibly average side. They are solid on all fronts but even some of the most devoted EPL fans would struggle to name their starting 11. They don’t look likely to mount a challenge to the elites but won’t drop points against inferior sides very often.

15. West Bromwich Albion

It’s hard to fault anyone for giving up six goals at Stamford Bridge and the newly-promoted West Brom successfully rebounded this weekend against Sunderland with a 1-0 victory.

16. Sunderland

Can Sunderland overcome their inconstancy this season? All of the early indicators point to, well, no. A stellar first half in their debut against Birmingham gave way to a diaspointing final 15 minutes and the consolation of a draw. A 1-0 defeat to West Brom leaves Sunderland with just one point from two games against very beatable opponents. Also, an early red card is a bad start to a side that led the league in dismissals last season.

17. Blackpool

Well so much for that. Blackpool’s surprising 4-0 thrashing of Wigan gave way to a 6-0 embarrassment at the hands of Arsenal. Whether or not the Tangerines can stay up this season depends on which side shows up more consistently. Playing most of the first half of the season away from home could end up being a blessing in disguise for Ian Holloway and his team. If they can avoid falling too far behind in the early stages they may pull of the impossible and surge to safety on the backs of their raucous supporters.

18. Stoke City

Despite being the latest team to reignite the instant replay debate Stoke City are still just a few players short of being a safe side. Their offense is dependent on set pieces and the long throws of Rory Delap and their defense can be a little porous at times. A opening-day defeat to Wolves is concerning but their performance against Tottenham was impressive, in spite of the late-game controversy but a 2-1 defeat gets you the same amount of points as a 4-0 route.

19. West Ham United

“Speaking of the Championship, let’s talk about West Ham.” That was how James Richardson started off the discussion of the Hammers 3-1 defeat of Bolton on the always entertaining Football Weekly from The Guardian and it’s hard to disagree with him at this point. West Ham look like a lost side, with no real direction and no real plan. Avrahm Grant needs to figure something out quickly before they’re season becomes a lost cause. There’s no Hull City or Burnley to save them from relegation this year.

20. Wigan

They hold the record for worst start to an EPL season ever so how can they not hold the bottom spot? There’s little doubt that Wigan has been the worst side early in the season and the new favorites for relegation. Not only did they lose by a combined 10 goals to Chelsea and Blackpool but they did it at home, against two teams who don’t travel particularly well. The Wigan side that shocked Arsenal late last year is nowhere to be found and if they can’t find that form soon it will be a very, very long season for Roberto Martinez’s men.

Blatter: An English World Cup Would Be “Easy”

FIFA officials arrived in England today to begin their four-day inspection of their 2018 World Cup bid. The 1966 hosts received a boost from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who said, “The easiest way to organize the World Cup is to go to England. Everything is there – fans, stadiums, infrastructure – it’s easy.”

“The performances of bidding countries’ national teams does not matter, definitely not. It is the quality of their bid that matters,” continued Blatter, which should assuage fears of England’s falling status as a soccer power becoming a negative in their bid.

But Blatter, who will meet with deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today, said Russia were strong contenders. “You cannot deny Russia if they bid for something. They are more than a country. They are a big continent, a big power,” he said. FIFA will vote on the locations of the 2018 an 2022 World Cups on Dec. 2.

Ferguson Could Face Sanctions Over BBC Boycott

Sir Alex Ferguson could face disciplinary action from the Premier League after continuing his refusal to participate in post-match interviews with the BBC. It was reported that the Manchester United manager would break his silence but it was assistant manager Michael Phelan who fielded the BBC’s questions.

“The Premier League is disappointed that the BBC and Manchester United have, as yet, been unable to resolve the issue of Sir Alex Ferguson providing post-match interviews,” the Premier League said in a statement. ”However, this is a breach of Premier League rules and the board will consider the appropriate course of action at their next meeting scheduled for late September.”

Walcott Could Be Moved Up To Striker

Theo Walcott could be moved up into a striking position following his hat trick against Blackpool said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The 21-year-old is trying to return to form after being left off the England World Cup squad.

Wenger is likely to move Walcott, who has been incosistent in his right position, to the center of Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 formation. “I believe he can score goals because when he was young he scored goals, and I am convinced he will finish in the middle. He times his runs well, once he is a yard clear nobody in the world can catch him, and now he is more composed in front of goal,” said Wenger.

“The boss signed me as a striker but I’ll happily play anywhere for Arsenal,” Walcott said. “There’s a lot of competition up front now with Marouane [Chamakh] and Robin [van Persie], so as long as I provide goals and pop up with one now and then I’m happy with that.”

Hi. My name is Guy and I’m a Fantasy Premier League junkie. I haven’t looked at a form chart in 14 days (polite applause).

How did it all start, my falling into the dementia of Fantasy Premier League? I was minding my own business….really. I had a subscription to ITVN (whoa….flashback!), which I had gotten primarily to watch the 2007 Super 14 rugby competition. Right away there were rights issues and the matches soon disappeared. I innocently logged on to the forum to see what was going on. First mistake.

I had never been on a forum before. I started looking around and found the discussion on the soccer forum interesting, filled with passion and humor. There was an invitation from one of the posters to join the ITVN fantasy league on the Prem’s main site. Even though I had never done any fantasy leagues before, since I had no rugby to watch I thought, “What the hell.” Second mistake.

So, picture the fantasy newbie. Clueless. It took me the better part of a day to even figure out how to pick a team. At one point I was almost done and somehow hit “reset”. #$%^&*! Back to square one. I toiled along picking players of whom I had absolutely no knowledge, other than their prices. I had never watched an EPL match in my life although I love the game and had been a soccer ref and coach for many years.

Anyway, I got through it figuring I hadn’t done badly given the dollar limitations on a roster and my lack of insight into the players’ actual abilities. I then rashly decided to also sign up for “I Know the Score” (IKTS). Need I elaborate? Big, big mistake. Strike three, you’re out, Guy. Welcome to Junkieland.

Talk about obsession. After plummeting to the bottom of the standings in both leagues I discovered form charts, physio charts and all the myriad of “help” that’s out there to be consumed. I dove in, completely hooked. I can not begin to count the hours I spent pouring over every piece of information I could get in an effort to lift myself off the bottom of the standings.

Slowly, but surely, I began to inch my way up. Those of you who play know how hard that can be. I was getting better, but so was everyone else…..and they knew way more than I did. I finished the season in the upper part of the bottom third in the standings in both leagues. Success, of a sort. I came out of the den and reintroduced myself to my wife and dog, already planning for the 2008 season.

Part 2—My rise and fall (again)

2008. Let the new Fantasy Premier League begin. I’m experienced. I know the players, know the teams and am ready to kick some butt. I make one change in IKTS strategy. No more hours debating with myself over form, standings, home or away. That really, really took way too much time. I need a system. I decide to pick all matches 2-1 for the home team unless the away team is one of the top six. Then I go 1-2 for the away team. If they’re both top six, it’s still 2-1 for the home team. Five minutes time, maximum, to enter every week. Brilliant!

Needless to say, I *am* brilliant in my second year. The junkie’s rush is exhilarating. I bound up the standings making much better choices for my fantasy team and the IKTS system is astonishingly successful. Each week I watch multiple games and repeatedly log into the fantasy Prem site to see if the scores and standings have been updated. They take too long! I need the information NOW damn it! Do you sense I’d lost a bit of control?

I finish the season in the top 5% in IKTS and top 15% in team competition….worldwide. There will be no stopping me in the 2009-2010 season. I am the man…..and delusional.

2009. I’m so good I start my own league. I trash talk on BigSoccer and bait others to sign-up. There are forty by the time the season starts and I prepare to make them eat my dust. One rational thing I did was decide not to do IKTS as I was at least sane enough to realize the previous year was probably a fluke and could not be improved upon. So, you see, I hadn’t lost *all* sense of reality. Now, for my fantasy team? That’s a different story. “Laissez les bons temps rouler!!”

Idiot. Down to #38 within three weeks. How can that be? In typical junkie fashion, I am in denial. I seek answers everywhere, but in the mirror. About half way through the season I finally come to grips with my collapse and once again simply try to slog my way up the ladder. Barring a miracle there will be no glory this season. I set my sights on reaching the top half and barely make it on the last day of the season. #20. Congratulations, big guy. Time to take a close look at what fantasy football has done to me.

I had been watching matches not so much to enjoy them, but to keep track of how the players on my fantasy team were doing. Did my captain get a hat trick? How about a clean sheet for my goalie? Same thing when I was in IKTS. What’s the score? What’s the score? The joy of football had been lost on me. I really wasn’t paying attention anymore in that regard. I had completely flamed out.

So this year I sucked it up and decided it had to end. Cold turkey. No more fantasy footy of any kind. Watch the matches for fun, for the actual beauty of the game. Two weeks in and I’m doing quite well, thanks. I can’t say I miss the weekly time in front of the computer plotting moves or my obsessive logging in to the Fantasy Premier League site to see if the fixture’s points have been tallied. It’s amazing how much more I enjoy watching the matches, to say nothing of how much more time I have on my hands. I think I’m cured. Maybe. Does any junkie ever really know?

But enough about me (more applause). What about you? Do you have a fantasy story to tell? The thrill of victory…the agony of defeat? How long have you been at it? Does it eat you up or have you been able to keep it fun?

Tell us all. The doctor is in.

Huang Abandons Liverpool Bid

Kenny Huang has abandoned his bid to take over Liverpool FC on behalf of Chinese sports investment firm QSL, a source told The Guardian. Huang was long considered the only viable contender to take over the debt-riddled club.

Huang’s withdrawal is rumored to be because of frustrations with the pace of the takeover process. Rather than buying the club directly from current owners George Gillette and Tom Hicks for an inflated price, Huang appealed to the Royal Bank of Scotland, who holds Liverpool’s more than £250 pounds of debt.

“Over the past few months we learned first hand that Liverpool has a very special place in the hearts of millions of fans around the world,” said Huang, in a statement. “We concluded that a plan that properly capitalises the business and provides funds for a new stadium and player-related costs would allow Liverpool to provide its great fans with the success they deserve.”

Stephen Ireland Accuses Manchester City Of “Lack Of Loyalty”

Stephen Ireland has blasted former club Manchester City after the midfielder was sent to Aston Villa in a high-profile trade for James Milner. Ireland’s attacks ranged from City manager Roberto Mancini’s relationship with players to the “money obsessed” owners.

“I don’t think loyalty is much in anyone’s mind at Manchester City,” he said. “I felt like I would be next [to leave]. A lot of players felt like that as well – the homegrown guys,” said Ireland, who was awarded City’s “player of the year” in 2009 but saw his role diminished under Mancini.

The rift between the Italian manager and Ireland became apparant when Mancini publicly questioned Ireland’s work rate. “I think that was really unfair, all the players know I was the first player into training and the last to leave,” he said. “I worked the hardest. With all the heart-rate monitors and tests, I was always No1, far ahead of everyone. You see the performance in training and I was practically always the best player in training. If [Mancini’s] standing there watching that, I don’t know how he doesn’t see that,” said Ireland

Ireland finally had a few words of warning for the newly signed Milner. I can understand why James Milner has gone there but I can tell him that I’m very happy to leave there and come here. I guess [he] must think the grass is greener on the other side. He’s going to get a shock soon because it’s definitely not that way.”

Neymar Snubs Chelsea To Stay In Brazil

18-year-old Brazilian phenom has decided to stay in his home country and continue playing for Santos.

A heafty increase in his current contract and the addition of endorsement deals convinced the youngster to stay.

Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston has resigned as chairman after 11 years (Photo credit: The Guardian)

Blackpool was stunned this evening with the news that chairman Karl Oyston has resigned with immediate effect just days after their shocking 4-0 victory over Wigan.

No reason has been given as to why but the Daily Mail is reporting that the 43-year-old Oyston, who took control of the club in 1999, resigned because he was unhappy with the £1 million transfer fee Blackpool paid for striker Brett Pitman. Oyston made headlines this summer by enacting a strict budget on manager Ian Holloway. Reports even suggested that Holloway had quit over frustration with his lack of transfer budget. Holloway later refuted those reports and said his relationship with Oyston was “fantastic.”

Oyston was frustrated with business nature of the Premier League. “I expected the landscape to be a lot different,” Oyston told The Guardian. “I’ve been very disappointed in the way that some agents have conducted themselves. I’m not sure I’ve got the right approach for this division and the more I talk to people at other clubs, the more I realise I’m a lone voice.”

Oyston will remain on as acting chief executive until a replacement is found.

Aston Villa and Manchester City Reach Deal Over Milner

After one of the longest transfer sagas of the summer Aston Villa has finally agreed on terms to sell midfielder James Milner to Manchester City.

The England international will undergo a medical at Eastlands this afternoon. The exact terms of the transfer are not clear but Villa are set to receive a player, presumably Stephen Ireland, along with cash. Villa rejected a £20 million offer before the World Cup, in which the 24-year-old Milner played for the Three Lions.

“I think that Milner is a good player, an English player which is important. I think that Milner can play in different positions,” said City manager Roberto Mancini.

Milner scored in Aston Villa’s Premier League opener, a 3-0 victory over West Ham, and recieved a standing ovation from the Villa crowd when he was subbed late in the match.

Neymar Weighing Chelsea Option

Brazilian sensation Neymar is considering leaving domestic club Santos for reigning EPL champions Chelsea.

The 18-year-old striker is one of many talented, young Brazilian prospects coming out of Santos and is “having talks with his family to decide the best course of action.”

Chelsea have reportedly put a £24 million offer on the table for Neymar but Santos want an additional five million.

Bellamy Joins Cardiff City

After a public falling out with Manchester City Craig Bellamy is joining Championship side Cardiff City.

Bellamy, who is from Cardiff, was also linked with EPL teams Tottenham, Fulham, and Liverpool but decided to play for his hometown club.

“I’m thrilled to be coming back home to Cardiff and am excited at the prospect of wearing the shirt and playing for the club I’ve supported since I was a boy,” said Bellamy. “I’ll be working hard with my new team-mates to bring success to the club and look forward to our next Championship game on Saturday. I’m sure that all City fans will play their part in driving us forward this year.:

The Welsh international scored 12 goals in 40 league appearances at Eastlands.

Mancini Will Not Stand In The Way Of A Given Exit

Shay Given is looking to secure a loan deal or permanent transfer away from Manchester City after the Republic of Ireland keeper was passed over for the starting position in City’s Premier League opener.

The BBC is reporting that Fulham manager Mark Hughes, who chose Given as his number one keeper while in charge at City, is interested in the 34-year-old’s services.

Mancini said that he would like Given to stay despite admitting that Hart was his starting keeper for the time being. But he also said that he would not stand in the way of a potential move by Given.

No. I am NOT serious, but how long will it be before someone takes up that chant for real? This has nothing to do with Saturday’s match. It’s about a comment I made about Mark Hughes before last season began. I said I felt sorry for him because it was going to be no easy task melding the egos and expectations into a cohesive team. Well, it sure wasn’t. Goodbye, Mark. Hello, Roberto.

Mancini now has the same problem, maybe worse. He’s no longer new to the team and if anything he has even more of an embarrassment of riches than Hughes. He even has “stars” no longer deemed necessary. Yikes! City doesn’t need a great coach so much as they do a team psychologist on full retainer.

This all came to mind again while I was watching Emmanuel Adebayor come on as an 82nd minute substitute. I am not criticizing Mancini. I just think that is a perfect indication of his problem… too many stars and options. How many teams have the luxury of sitting someone like Adebayor until there are just 8 minutes left in the match? Not mine (Fulham). If he’s on one leg he’s out there!

What is Mancini to do? We have all seen great coaches make more out of a team than the sum of its parts. With a roster like City’s you’re more likely to see the opposite. Perhaps more than any other sport soccer requires all the pieces to mesh and work together like a well oiled machine. There is no question City has the talent, but how do you get the right parts working together? How many combinations can you try and how much time do you have to find that perfect combination? I don’t envy Roberto any more than I did Mark.

I do not begrudge City the money spent or the fans their high expectations. Let’s be frank, there are tons of teams in the Premier League that would love to have City’s problem, mine included. However, in the end, it is results that count. City fan or not…what do you think is the answer? Can you make a tight eleven out of that roster or is it Mission Impossible? Do more egos need to be shed first? Is it Champions League or bust?

By the way, I would be quite happy to take that little Welsh madman Craig Bellamy off your hands. At least he would then be *my* team’s madman.

Eriksson Thinks Capello Was Wrong To Force Beckham Out

Former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson has criticized current manager Fabio Capello for announcing that David Beckham would likely not play in any more competitve matches for the Three Lions.

“Beckham deserves all the respect you can give to him,” Eriksson said. “When he gets fit, he is still a very good football player.”

Capello surprised many when he announced before England’s friendly fixture against Hungary that Beckham, who is 35, was “too old” to continue to make a significant impact. The Italian manager was also roundly criticized for not speaking when the superstar midfielder before speaking to the BBC.

“If it is somebody with 20, 30, 40, 50 caps then, yes, you have to speak to him before dropping him. I would do it myself, I did it many times – David Seaman was one,” said Erriksson

Bellamy Banned From Manchester City

Manchester City Roberto Mancini has banned Craig Bellamy from the club and has ordered that the Welsh winger stay away until a loan deal can be arranged.

The move comes after Bellamy was ordered to train with the reserve squad late last week but was uncooperative and “disruptive” enough to draw the ire of Mancini and City’s senior officials. The Guardian is reporting that Cardiff City is the most likely destination for Bellamy, who has never shied away from speaking his mind.

The saga began near the end of last season when Bellamy was seen high-fiving Tottenham manager Harry Redknap after a 1-0 defeat effectively ended City’s Champions League hopes. Bellamy than repsonded by saying Mancini hadn’t spoken to him in six months. Tottenham are reportedly interested in Bellamy’s services but City are reluctant to sell to such a close competitor. Celtic and Sunderland are also interested in buying Bellamy.

Liverpool Will Not Appeal Cole’s Red Card

Liverpool have announced that they will not appeal the red card issued to newly-signed Joe Cole and the midfielder will serve a three-match ban.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said that he was considering appeal in post-match interviews after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday. “We now have the benefit of replays on the TV and those replays suggest to me he [Cole] was a little bit unlucky,” said Hodgson.

Cole will miss Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures at Manchester City, West Brom and Birmingham City.

If I have learned anything in my first year of reading EPL Talk it is that we are all subject to the whims of our TV providers whether they be cable, FiOS, DSL or satellite. You want Fox Soccer Plus? Well, let me see. “We value the input of all our customers……..”

Right. Tell me another one. Being a Time Warner Cable (TWC) prisoner …errr customer, my favorite line is their “The power of you” tagline. The power to what? Switch? Too many trees for satellite, unless I hire Paul Bunyan. DSL? FiOS? “We should be with you in 2015.” So there you are. TWC or bust.

But what does that mean? If you have followed the postings on EPL Talk it is obvious that we subscribers to any service have little idea what “normal” service means. Each company seems to have its own set of rules. For instance, in one of the greatest misunderstandings, Time Warner does not offer “National” service. They let their regional managers decide whether or not to offer special channels like Fox Soccer Plus or whether to go HD on anything. So, TWC line-ups are different all over the country. Comcast? Brighthouse? Charter? I have no clue. You tell me.

DirecTV and Dish seem to have a different business model entirely, but not always better. For instance, I get Fox Soccer Plus at no extra charge, but my understanding is that DirecTV customers must pay a premium for the same service that I get for “free.” I really do hate to use old clichés, but…..Whazupwiddat?!

My question to you, dear readers is, in this jungle we are all trying to maneuver through, what are the best ….and worst things about YOUR service, including pricing? What would make it “perfect”? Like you have a chance.

P.S. My apologies for cutting out our UK readers. I love you guys. You could always chime in with what spoiled-rotten-little-Yank-brats we are…..or your own particular provider problems. Hey, you might even make us feel better!

Fulham Say Schwarzer Will Not Go To Arsenal

Fulham has taken steps to assuage rumors that goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has requested a transfer to Arsenal. Arsene Wenger had a £2 million bid rejected earlier in the transfer window for the former Middlesbrough man.

“The club has not received a transfer request from Mark Schwarzer. Mark is under contract with us until the summer of 2011 and the manager has underlined his commitment to keep hold of his best players,” said a Fulham spokesman.

Rumors were reignited when Aston Villa’s possible sale of Brad Friedel to Fulham to replace Schwarzer was one of the reasons for Martin O’Neill’s departure. But newly appointed Fulham manager Mark Hughes is determined to retain the 37-year-old Australian.

FIFA To Investigate North Korea’s Treatment of World Cup Players

After reports of North Korean players and coaches being subjected to public humiliation and hard labor after their disapointing World Cup campaign FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed an investigation will be launched against Korea DPR.

“We contacted them [North Korea] to discuss the election of a new president, and if they are true, the allegations made by the media that the coach and some players have been condemned or punished,” said Blatter.

FIFA has historically been very harsh on government interfering with their soccer federations, sometimes banning nations from FIFA competitions.

Carvalho Leaving Chelsea For Real Madrid

Ricardo Cavalho is leaving Stamford Bridge for the Bernabeu as Chelsea has accepted a £6.65 million from Real Madrid for the Portugese defender.

“Chelsea can confirm it has agreed terms with Real Madrid for the transfer of Ricardo Carvalho,” said a statement on Chelsea’s website. “The transfer is subject to a medical and the player agreeing to personal terms.”

Brown and Robinson Retire From England Squad

Fabio Capello has lost two more potential squad members as Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson and Manchester United defender Wes Brown declined their respective call ups to the England squad for England’s upcoming friendly against Hungary.

Robinson and Brown, both 30, narrowly missed out on the 23-man squad to travel to South Africa but were part of a renovated England squad ahead of Euro 2012 qualifying.

Robinson turned down his spot because “he was unwilling to be merely a squad member under Capello and has chosen to focus exclusively on club matters,” according to ESPN Soccernet.

Brown visited the team hotel in Watford to speak with Capello personally. “Wes Brown has this evening announced his retirement from international football,” read a statement from the FA on Sunday night. “He came to the England team hotel this evening to meet with and tell Fabio Capello in person.”

Brown’s absence will be hard to overcome as Capello looks to retool a back line that was shredded by Germany during the World Cup. The defender earned his first cap in 1999 and his final appearance came against Egypt in March, totaling in 22 appearances for the Three Lions.

No replacement players have been named as of yet. Robinson and Brown join Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey and Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher in announcing their retirement this summer.

Manchester City: Joe Hart Will Not Be Loaned

Despite an embarrassment of riches at the goalkeeping position Manchester City says they will not loan England keeper Joe Hart out this season. Republic of Ireland keeper Shay Given is expected to retain the No. 1 shirt after recovering from a dislocated shoulder suffered near the end of last season.

The reverse is true if Hart manages to earn the starting spot during the season.

City manager Roberto Mancini said: “If we play Joe, Shay Given will still have a role in the team and if I pick Shay then Joe will help him.

Latest Transfer Rumors

Serie A up-and-comers Palermo are interested in Everton midfielder Leon Osman

According to the Mail, Peter Crouch may be allowed to go to Liverpool in order to clear room for Loic Remy from Nice. The Mirror is reporting that Everton is pursuing the lanky forward.

Jose Mourinho has officially abandoned his pursuit of Chelsea’s Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho and Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard

Chelsea are looking to shore up their goalkeeping worries by signing Asmir Begovic

If the Royal Bank of Scotland accepts Huang’s bid to purchase Liverpool’s £237 million in debt the Chinese billionaire would have “a ridiculously large amount of leverage” to oust the American duo, a source told the Press Association.

Huang is no stranger to professional sports. He began his foray into American athletics when he became the first Chinese graduate to land a job at the high-profile New York Stock Exchange. He has been the driving force behind basketball’s saturation in the widely untapped Chinese market, utilizing native-hero Yao Ming’s popularity to arrange off-season tours of the NBA’s biggest teams and stars. Huang is also a large shareholder in the New York Yankees. Baseball, more than any other sport, is similar to European soccer with the trade windows and lack of a salary cap.

But his most valuable weapon is the numerous wealthy backers who make up QSL, Huang’s Hong-Kong based sports company. Unlike Chelsea’s Roman Abramovic, Huang will not rely exclusively on his personal wealth to finance the team. Instead, he will act as a spokesman for these investors, making deals and signing players will be a shared venture, therefore decreasing the risk.

So let’s, for a second, assume that the American duo that the Liverpool faithful despise are ousted and Huang takes control of the club. Will it be enough to return Liverpool, who haven’t won a Premier League title since the EPL split from the Football Association and finished a woeful seventh last season, to their former glory? Yes, but not immediately.

Even if the deal gets done within the next week and Huang gives manager Roy Hodgson a sizable budget to sign new players, the summer transfer window closes in less than a month and many of the high-profile players looking for new clubs have already been snatched up. But it should serve to reassure Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, and the Liverpool fans that help is on the way and the power to fight off any bids for their current stars.

It also means that Liverpool could become the face of the EPL in China. Next summer Liverpool will probably spend their preseason tour in the far east in much the same way both clubs from Manchester toured the United States over the past month. These additional fans means additional merchandise and TV sales which means more money for the club.

And by far the simplest and most important reason, the club will no longer be in debt. Huang is buying Liverpool’s debt rather than buying the club outright from Hicks and Gillette. The elimination of the debt means the elimination of the threat of administration, which would be catastrophic for the club and could mean a Leeds United-esque fall from grace.

So yes, a successful bid by Huang would be in the best interest for Liverpool and its fans but don’t expect Liverpool to return to the Champions League next season. The current owners and Rafa Benitez have done a great deal of damage to the club and no amount of cash will fix that immediately. This is a long-term venture that will pay huge dividends if given the needed time.

Is he the savior? Not really but he will stop the descent of Liverpool and be the first step in their journey back into the Premier League elite.

England goalkeeper David James has secured a move to Championship side Bristol City on a free transfer.

James, who started three of England’s World Cup matches in South Africa, inked a one-year deal with the option of an additional year after the 39-year-old successfully passed a physical on Thursday. “I’ve had offers to stay in the Premier League but it is more important that I play football – which I love – for the right club and be a family man,” James told the Bristol Evening Post. “I had a long conversation with the chairman Steve Lansdown and I liked what he said about the club and his ambition.

James was released from Portsmouth after Pompey’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in May’s FA Cup final. James also said that his goal was to help Bristol, who finished 10th in the Championship last season, secure promotion into the Premier League.

“The South West has not had a club in the Premier League and that needs to change,” said James.

“I’m delighted David James has agreed to sign. My ambition is for this football club to play at the highest level – the Premier League – and in the best surroundings, hence the work on the training ground and new stadium,” said Bristol chairman Steve Lansdown. “We need good quality players to make that happen and that’s why I’m thrilled that David has agreed to come on board.”

Puyol Warns That Keeping Fabregas Could Hurt Arsenal

Barcelona captain, and World Cup teammate of Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Puyol has expressed concern that forcing the Arsenal captain to stay in the EPL could hurt Arsenal long term.

“He is having to stay at a club where he no longer wants to be for another year. I wonder how intelligent it is keeping a player who doesn’t want to be there,” said Puyol. “After seven years of great service, I thought Arsenal could have granted him his dream move.”

Fabregas’ interest in returning to his boyhood club and Arsenal’s subsequent refusal has dominated headlines for months, culminating in Febregas’ donning of a Barcelona jersey during a World Cup celebration.

Arsenal have already rejected a £29 million bid for Fabregas.

Liverpool Cruise In Europa League Qualifier

Roy Hodgson started off his tenure with Liverpool on the right foot with a 2-0 Europa League qualifying victory over FK Rabotnicki in Macedonia.

David Ngog scored a brace for Liverpool, who were playing without Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and new-signing Joe Cole.

It was also a debut for Liverpool’s new black and yellow third shirt. Hodgson’s side will finish off their Europa League tie at home Aug. 5.

Other Stories

Newscastle United becomes the eight EPL team to ban Vuvuzelas.

Martin O’Neill promises that James Milner will be welcomed back into the side he can’t secure a transfer to Manchester City.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is suing L’Equipe for libel after the French newspaper published details of his tirade directed at manager Raymond Domenech.

Latest Transfer Rumors

Liverpool are looking at Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen.

Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli’s suspected transfer to Manchester City still not close to completion due to wage demands.

Manchester United is now the clear front-runner for Mesut Ozil as they prepare a £12 million bid.

Charles N’Zogbia has been given assurances by Wigan that they will not block a potential move.

Lazio have poached Manchester City left-back Javier Garrido.

West Brom are looking at Hull City keeper Boaz Myhill for £1.5 million.

Robinho Recalled To Manchester City

It looks like the tumultous tenure of Robinho at Manchester City will continue into the 2010-11 season as the Brazilian striker was recalled to England.

The 26-year-old had been on loan to the Brazilian club Santos since January. Robinho returns to Eastlands reluctantly after his discontent made headlines last winter.

City manager Roberto Mancini has told Sky Sports that he had no issue welcoming Robinho back into the side. “But it depends on him,” he said.

Robinho has one week left on his loan deal with Santos and then a friendly against the USA on Aug. 10 before he returns.

Given Saves Two Penalties In City Win Over Club America

Shay Given emphatically made his claim for the starting goalkeeper job by saving two penalties in Manchester City’s shootout victory over Club America in Atlanta.

Given, playing in his first match since dislocating his shoulder in April, replaced Joe Hart at halftime. The Republic of Ireland international is facing strong competition for the No. 1 shirt from the England upstart.

The match also marked Yaya Toure’s debut for City, who will finish out their North American tour in Baltimore against Inter Milan on Saturday.

Former Manchester City manger Mark Hughes has agreed to replace Roy Hodgson at Fulham for the upcoming season, according to The Guardian.

Hughes, who was sacked as manager of City midway through last season, beat out a number of other candidates, including Ivory Coast boss Sven-Goran Eriksson and USA manager Bob Bradley, for the gig. Fulham had agreed to terms with Ajax manager Martin Jol last week but the deal fell through when the Dutch club refused to negotiate a release of Jol’s contract.

Hughes comes to Craven Cottage with high expectations. Fulham went from battling relegation in 2008 to the finals of the Europa League last May. Their recent success led to Hodgson’s selection as Liverpool’s manager after the sacking of Rafa Benitez. Hughes’ first task will be to fight off bids for some of his star players, including an offer by Arsenal for goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and AC Milan’s pursuit of USA international Clint Dempsey.

Mohamed Al Fayed, Fulham’s chairman, can now begin his transfer-window shopping, with former Portsmouth goalkeeper David James and Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell some of his high-profile targets. Fulham haven’t released the length or financial details of Hughes’ contact as of yet.

Hodgson Confirms That Mascherano Wants Out Of Liverpool

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson confirmed the rumors that Argentinian midfielder Javier Mascherano wants to leave Liverpool.

“He wants to leave the club,” Hodgson said. “He has made that perfectly clear. I think he wanted to leave a year ago. He wants to leave now but he is contracted to Liverpool so whether he leaves or not will be our decision.”

Mascherano, who signed a four-year deal in 2007 after switching to Liverpool from West Ham, is rumored to be trying to reunite with Rafa Benitez, who was recently appointed manager at Inter Milan. It is widely expected that Liverpool would be willing to concede Mascherano in order to retain Fernando Torres.

The Spanish striker has been linked with massive transfers to Chelsea and Manchester City but has told Hodgson he is looking forward to playing for Liverpool this season.

Drenthe Facebook Page Was A Fake, Not Coming To Liverpool

Yesterday, the internet was abuzz with news that Real Madrid full back Royston Drenthe had confirmed his intentions to play at Liverpool via his “official” facebook page.

Turns out the facebook was a fake and Drenthe’s agent has confirmed his client will be staying at Real Madrid. “Royston does not have a Facebook page, a Twitter page or a MySpace page. We will be taking legal action against the person who set up this false Royston Drenthe account,” Drenthe’s agent told the BBC.

Bellamy Might Be Leaving City After Summer Spending Spree

The always-contentious Craig Bellamy might be looking for a new club after Roberto Mancini admitted he might not have room for the Welshman.

Mancini is concerned about complying with the FA’s new 25-man roster rule. Under the new guidelines clubs may only name 25 players to the full-time roster from Sept. 1 to January and the City roster is becoming crowded after a tear of new signings.

Bellamy has been linked with a move to Tottenham but nothing official has been announced.

England Falls To Spain In U-19 Euro Championship Semi-final

England’s quest for the U-19 Euro Championship has come to an end with a 3-1 defeat to Spain.

Spain jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a 12th minute goal by Daniel Pacheco and a stellar goal 15 minutes later from the Spanish captain Keko. England brought one back three minutes later with an absolute laser from John Bostock.

Spain iced the victory with a second-half goal from Sergio Canales and advanced to the final. It’s another solid tournament for England’s youth teams who saw their U-21 squad advance to the Euro Championship finals last year where they suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Germany.

Latest Transfer Rumors

The Mail is reporting Liverpool is looking to send Maxi Rodriguez to La Liga side Espanyol.

The Sun is reporting Chris Brunt has signed a three-year deal with West Bromwich Albion (confirmed).

Emanuel Adebayor is being pursued by Juventus and Marseille.

Bolton have poached Real Madrid full-back Marcos Alonso.

You can email John Boschini at Jboschini89@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/@johnbo01

Nemanja Vidic has secured his future at Old Trafford with a long-term deal.

Manchester United held off approaches by Real Madrid and AC Milan for the Serbian centre back, who was rumored to be unhappy and Manchester and actively seeking an exit.

“It’s yet to be signed – the paperwork is now being sorted by our lawyers and being checked by Nemanja’s advisors. He’s still away on holiday but the plan is that when he gets back the papers will be signed,” said David Gill, chief executive of Manchester United.

Vidic came to Old Trafford in 2006 via Spartak Moscow and has won three titles with his centre back partner, Rio Ferdinand.

Drogba Undergoes Surgery, Could Miss Start Of Season

A groin strain could prevent Didier Drogba from playing in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against West Brom and the community shield clash with Manchester United.

The star striker and reigning golden boot winner underwent an operation on Friday.

“Didier Drogba successfully underwent minimally invasive surgery yesterday [Friday] on the groin injury that had troubled him for some of last season,” a club statement read. “The decision to perform the procedure after his return from the World Cup was made to optimise his rehabilitation, and he is expected to return to full training in approximately three weeks.”

This is the latest injury blow to the reigning champions who will be without Brazilian defender Alex and Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech for the start of the season.

Latest Transfer Rumors

Manchester City sign Lazio/Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov (confirmed)

Chelsea preparing bid for Benfica defender David Luiz for an estimated £27 million

Ricardo Carvalho is looking for a way out of Chelsea to rejoin Jose Murhino at Real Madrid

Steven Gerrard Likely To Stay At Liverpool

The arrival of Joe Cole to Anfield has reportedly convinced Steven Gerrard to remain with Liverpool.

“He [Cole] has proved his ability over many years, sometimes against us – so it’ll be fantastic to play alongside him in a red shirt for Liverpool,” said Gerrard, who returned to training on Monday following a post-World Cup vacation. “I have seen first hand just how good Joe is.”

According to The Sun, Gerrard was a major influence on Cole’s decision to come to Liverpool, forgoing other suitors Arsenal and Tottenham.

The decision has understandably pleased Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson. “He’s a player who I was really looking forward to working with when I came to Liverpool,” said Hodgson.

Ferguson Frustrated At FA Over No Winter Break

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has reiterated his desire for the FA to introduce a winter break.

The Scottish manager attributed the non-stop schedule as a major factor in England’s poor showing in South Africa. “The FA has to give the country the best possible chance of doing well in the World Cup,” said Ferguson. “Because of the nature of our game and because of the demands from TV to have a programme every week, the idea of a winter break, which I was first talking about 30 years ago in Scotland and have done since I came down to England, nothing has happened about it. They must realise that, going into the World Cup, they have handicapped their team.”

Ferguson’s star player, Wayne Rooney, was hobbled coming into the World Cup and Ferguson believes a winter break could help players remain healthy into the summer. “When they get to the end of the season and have a major tournament like a World Cup or European Championship they are not 100% fit, they can’t be. They need that rest factor which brings the energy back into the system,” said Ferguson.

Portsmouth Win Case To Speed Up Court Decision

As the opening of the Championship nears Portsmouth are still in a heap of trouble with the tax man. Because Pompey is still in administration they can not sign any new players during the summer transfer window. A recent attempt to exit administration was blocked by HM Revenue and Customs, a decision Portsmouth promptly appealed.

But a decision handed down by the High Court yesterday said a decision on Portsmouth’s administration would be reached within two weeks. If Pompey wins the decision it will give them to sign players before the beginning of the season.

Latest Tranfer Rumors

Wolfsburg has failed in their bid to sign Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy on loan

Blackpool are now the frontrunners to sign Slovenian captain Robert Koren on a free transfer

Everton striker Lukas Jutkiewicz is being loaned to Coventry City (confirmed)

Sunderland is looking to sign Titus Bramble from Wigan

Roman Pavlyuchenko has denied that he’ll be leaving Tottenham for Sporting Lisbon

England goalkeeper David James is being pursued by Celtic

West Ham have raised their bid for Nice striker Loic Remy to £13 million

Wolverhampton Wanderers are talking with St. Etienne over midfielder Guirane N’Daw

Preseason Friendly Results

Wolverhampton Wanderers 4, Walsall 0. Goals: Wolves-Hemmings 11, Vokes 37, 43, Ebanks-Blake 66.

Preston Northend 3, Blackburn Rovers 0. Goals: Preston- Hayes, Brown (PK)

Brazil Planning To Spend $3 Billion On Airports Ahead Of 2014

The Brazilian government has approved a $3 billion package to upgrade the country’s airports over the next four years.

It was the first step in the massive overhaul needed to Brazil’s infastructure. The package also included an additional $400 million to upgrade the port system.

Government officials created a timetable detailing construction deadlines on stadiums and transportation after FIFA’s outspoken concerns over Brazil’s preparedness to host the world’s premiere soccer tournament.

“I received a few reports on the stadiums and they are not good. It is not only Morumbi (Sao Paulo) or Maracana (Rio de Janeiro), but all of them. The deadlines have passed, and Brazil is not in the right direction,” said general secretary Jerome Valcke.

The country is planning to invest $16 billion over the next few years for both the 2014 World cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro and officials are confident in their readiness.

“Things are happening very quickly,” said Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Blackpool Encourage Fans To Bring Vuvuzelas To Matches

Premier League newcomers are not looking to make friends as Blackpool encourages fans to utilize the infamous Vuvuzela.

The long, plastic horns came to prominence during the 2010 World Cup and were the root of much controversy as some in the worldwide media called for their banishment. Blackpool is the first EPL club to openly welcome the divisive instrument. “We are keen to ensure the atmosphere created by our fans is better than ever before,” said a Blackpool spokesman.

Tottenham was the first EPL team to officially ban the Vuvuzelas categorizing them as an “unnecessary risk.” Other clubs are expected to follow in White Heart Lane’s footsteps with an official ban.

Didier Droba being pursued by Manchester City

Chelsea striker and 2009-2010 Premier League Golden Boot winner Didier Drogba is being wooed by Manchester City according to his agent.

Drogba’s agent, Thierno Seydi, confirmed that City is interested by cautioned that a move for the Ivorian is unlikely.

“There may be surprises before August 31. The only direct contact I have had was with Manchester City. But getting Drogba out of Chelsea is not an easy task because he has all the conditions he needs to flourish there,” Seydi told The Sun.

Latest Transfer Rumors

Blackpool are trying to sign former-Everton striker Francis Jeffers and Isreali center-back Dekel Keinan

Liam Lawrence is likely to leave Stoke for Celtic for around £2 million

Sol Campbell is on the verge of signing with Sunderland after leaving Arsenal

Manchester United is trying to sign German World Cup star Mesut Ozil

Greek club Panathinaikos is attempting to sign Arsenal defender William Gallas

Liverpool have won the rights to Joe Cole on a free transfer after the English midfielder parted ways with Chelsea this spring.

Cole, 28, has agreed to a £90,000 a week contract with Anfield pending the passing of a physical, according to ESPN Soccernet. Arsenal and Tottenham were also interested in the services of Cole, who struggled for playing at Samford Bridge under Carlo Ancelotti.

It’s the first major signing by new manager Roy Hodgson and is likely to reassure stars Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard that Liverpool is serious about a return to the Champions League.

Cole is also rumored to wear number seven.

The Dutch manager, who won a Dutch Cup with Ajax in his only season with the club, was fired as manager of Tottenham in 2007 despite nearly leading the London club to the Champions League. Jol then spent a couple of years at Hamburg before moving to Ajax.

Fulham chose Jol over former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and current USA manager Bob Bradley. Jol, who is reportedly leaving Ajax because of the club’s financial problems, could be in place in time for Fulham’s friendly against Halmstad on Thursday.

Jol also spent time in England during his playing career as a member of West Brom and Coventry City and might have a substantial transfer budget after Fulham’s owner Mohamed Al Fayed sold Harrods for nearly £1.5 billion.

Arsene Wenger Unhappy With New England Player Rules

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has slammed the new rules put in place by the FA requiring more English players be included in EPL squads.

According to The Mail’s Paul Bentley, “Premier League squads this season must contain a maximum of 25 players aged over 21, at least eight of whom have to be ‘home-grown’ — that is, players trained in England or Wales for 36 months before the end of the season in which they became 21.”

The native Frenchman has been famous for his heavy reliance on foreign players and will have to overhaul his roster to meet these new requirements, which are backed by England manager Fabio Capello.

“I’m not too much for rules. What is important is quality,” said Wenger. “The Premier League is the most watched league in the world and you only get that if you focus on quality.”

Transfer Rumor Updates

The Mail is reporting Liverpool is pursuing Joe Cole (The Mail)

Shakhtar Donetsk is close to luring Eduardo away from Arsenal (The Mail)

Birmingham is eyeing Moussa Dembele (The Mail)

The American sporting public, still high  on a sucessful World Cup, has turned it’s attention towards its biggest star and his plans for the future. Landon Donovan, now the most famous American soccer player of all time thanks to his dramatic goal against Algeria, is currently the captain of the L.A. Galaxy and the poster boy for MLS. It has been widely suspected that he will soon leave the sunny shores of California for one of Europe’s top leagues, preferably the EPL where Donovan enjoyed a successful loan stint with Everton.

But MLS commissioner Don Garber has become a roadblock in such a move, claiming that he would block any transfer offer for Donovan. Since it is baseball season and journalists and pundits are grasping for something, anything to talk about, where Donovan belongs has become a topic of much debate across sporting media platforms. As fun as it is to watch “experts” on programs like Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption flounder in their knowledge of the world’s most popular game, their incredibly ignorant opinions are endangering the growth of American soccer by advocating the handcuffing of our most marketable star.

On today’s PTI, Bob Ryan, the old and crotchety columnist for the Boston Globe, scoffed at Donovan’s credentials saying, “two goals in 13 games at Everton. That’s a big, big deal? No.” Nevermind that two goals in 13 games is stellar production from a outside midfielder but Donovan’s pace, passing and defense made him Everton’s “Player of the Month” in January and the Everton faithful were desperate to keep him until the end of the EPL season. Ryan then went on to say that in order for the American sport to grow our top players need to play in their country of origin.

But let’s apply that theory to some other players to apply their sporting trade in the United States. Would basketball be bigger in China if Yao Ming had stayed in Asia? What about Pau Gasol and Spain? Baseball is now one of the biggest sports in Japan because their star player, Ichiro Suzuki, became an all-star in the top baseball league in the world. The list goes on and on. Alex Ovechkin and Russia, David Ortiz and the Dominican Republic, etc.

Can you imagine Didier Drogba or Michael Essien getting flack for wanting to come to the EPL rather than play in Africa? Even countries with legitimate soccer leagues like the Netherlands and Russia are eager to ship their stars out to one of the big four leagues to make their countries proud. It’s American arrogance that says if we play a sport the top league must be here or else we want no part of it. But the fact is we will never be able to compete with the likes of the EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga because we don’t have the Champions League and soccer will always be behind baseball, football and basketball.

So instead of trying to turn the MLS into the top league in the world by bringing high-priced retirees into the fold, Garber and Co. should take a lesson from leagues in Brazil and Holland. Awknowledge that the best thing for your fans is to develop solid talent, send them to highly competitive leagues, and let your national pride come from the national teams. So far the MLS has shown itself as a reputable developmental league, churning out players like Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard but will never be able to do its job properly and develop young, American talent until they let go of their delusions of grandeur.

I’m not an MLS hater, I enjoy it in the same way I enjoy my local minor league baseball team. I’ll cheer them on and love it when they win but what brings me the most pride is when they move on to the major leagues and show how good players from my area can be. So let Donovan go to the EPL, to Everton if possible, and aid in the long, arduous task of overturning public sentiment towards the American player, in a league Americans actually watch.

You can follow John Boschini at twitter.com/Johnbo01

Spanish national team winger David Silva’s long suspected departure from Valencia to Manchester City is now official, bolstering City’s hopes for Champion’s League qualification during the 2010-11 season.

Silva signed his contract on Wednesday, after completing a mandatory physical. He has seen his role diminished under Vincente Del Bosque but his 10 goals and eight assists with Valencia was enough to convince Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. “I am so pleased he is coming to us, I think he can make a big, big impact for Manchester City. In signing David, we are showing the world that we are bringing the best players here and that we hope to compete to win the Premier League,” said Mancini

City acquired the Spanish midfielder for £24 million and his recently-signed contract is reportedly worth £160,000 per week. “The time is right for me to seek a new challenge, and I am thrilled about playing in England with Manchester City,” said Silva, who spent seven seasons in La Liga. “I believe the Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world and I want to bring success to City and win trophies for them.

There is a saying that once you hit rock bottom the only way out is up. Unfortunately there is another option, stagnating at the rock bottom. The England national team hit rock bottom in South Africa and those out there flattering themselves that England will emerge from the utter mess a stronger team cannot be further away from reality. There is nothing about the present crop of England failures, the under 21’s or the English system as a whole to instill any positivity that the future will be even slightly brighter than the present all time low.

The game against USA was not as bad as most people have made it out to be and the Americans are a much better collective unit than most people give them credit for. Had “Butterfingers” Green not let in the dubious goal England would have gone on to top the group and meet Ghana rather than Germany in the round of 16. Albeit going by the new-low that England accomplished against Germany you can be rest assured that Ghana would have gone on to beat England by a similar margin if not more. Frankly, it is slightly less embarrassing to be humiliated by a German team than to be humiliated by Ghana. To say that England was bad against Germany would be wrong. Bad were Australia against Germany. England was as good as a bunch of 12 year old kids from the Indian sub-continent kicking a ball around on the street.

It would be difficult to accurately pinpoint one particular reason for England’s humiliating display at the World Cup. A host of factors collectively contributed to England’s lethargic performance but none more significant than the English football system that has consistently failed to produce good footballers for some time now. The primary reasons for this talent dearth are clubs like Arsenal who ply their trade in England but have really made no significant contribution to the national team in a decade or more. Ironically the one good football player that England has produced in recent times, someone who can walk out of almost every dismal England performance with his head held high, is Ashley Cole – a product of the Arsenal academy.

England is paying the price of not implementing the 7 + 4 rule a long time ago. One look at the current Arsenal squad and they are nothing more than a group of average French and African football players who play some really attractive football under an astute manager because the last thing that they are expected to do at Arsenal is win trophies. It is surprising what even average football players can accomplish if the pressure of winning is eliminated from the equation. To say that a country with a population of over 50 million does not have even players of the caliber of Almunia, Abou Diaby, Sagna, Nasri, Rosicky, Eduardo, Vela, Denilson, Song, Djourou, Fabianski, Mannone, Eboue, Traore, Bendtner would be plain wrong. It is just easier and more economical for clubs like Arsenal to recruit potential talents from lower level clubs in France and Africa at dirt cheap transfer sums and wages than to take the financial burden of identifying potential English talents and groom them over years in their academies to have more than half of them fall by the wayside.

The highest contributor to the English squad in the present World Cup in terms of players was Tottenham Hotspur of all clubs and they were not even good enough to qualify for a Champions League spot til Liverpool decided to self-destruct. In Terry-Upson-Barry England had the slowest defensive trio in the World Cup and it would be wrong to blame Capello since he had so few players to choose from. The golden generation was nothing more than a farce and the next generation, the likes of Milner, Walcott, Downing, Agbonlahor look to be no better. Had the FA decided to crack its whip a few years ago and make it mandatory for all England based clubs to have a specified number of local players in the playing 11 the situation would not have been as grim and hopeless as it is now.

Truth is, for all the talk of national pride, the English fans as well as the players have always placed club over country. The national team of the local Old Trafford faithful is Manchester United and not England. It was distressing to see a German team comprising mainly of non-Germans play more for national pride than a no-good England team comprising mainly of thoroughbred Englishmen.

Fact is a month or so down the line over 60,000 Englishmen will be shouting their throats hoarse at the Emirates over 11 non-English players with little recollection of the horror of South Africa.

Honestly speaking the English have not won the World Cup in the last 44 years because deep down they really don’t want to…they would rather see their club win the English Premier League.

Portsmouth is now officially the latest English club coming to North America as part of their preseason warm-ups. The south-coast club finished dead last in the EPL, made history by being the first Premier League club to go into administration and have been forced to sell what top-class talent they had in order to stave off collapse.

But despite all of their troubles Pompey will join English clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton and Tottenham on the other side of the pond. The catastrophe at Portsmouth last season has a thin, thin silver lining when it comes to their overseas trip. The administration, the last place finish and the multitude of owners has raised the club’s notoriety outside of England. Their FA Cup run was something straight out of a Disney sports film and Avram Grant’s willingness to go down with the ship and stick it out until the end has endeared him to the public.

Portsmouth’s trip will be a barometer on how much the English game has permeated into the North American sports psyche. Most Americans/Canadians have never even heard of the Championship, much less seen a game featuring lower division sides. Espescially now that Avram Grant has departed and the FA Cup will be a distant afterthought once the hoopla of the World Cup commences it will be interesting to see if people turn out because Lord knows the club needs the money.

Portsmouth start their North American tour against Club America in San Diego on July 14, travel north to face off with the Edmenton Select on July 21 and finish against MLS bottom-dwellers D.C. United on July 24. Be sure to check out our complete list of preseason friendlies and stay tuned to EPL Talk for full coverage.

The summer’s marquee event is obviously the World Cup but after the final on July 11 many of Europe’s top clubs kick off their preseason preparations. Many of these clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City and AC Milan, will tour North America playing preseason fixtures.

Last summer, Everton provided the opposition for the MLS All-Star game (this year’s responsibility of Manchester United) and Chelsea took on the Seattle Sounders  just to name a few. Many of these games were played in front of sell-out crowds despite their meaninglessness and acted as a gauge of just how much the sport has grown on this side of the pond.

On top of their scheduled MLS coverage Fox Soccer Channel has announced that they will broadcast several of these preseason fixtures.  Be sure to stay tuned to EPLtalk.com for full coverage as some of the world’s top teams come to America’s shores.

*Available in high-definition

Note: New York Football Challenge features the New York Red Bulls (USA), Manchester City (ENG), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) and Sporting Lisbon (POR)

ESPN’s saturation of World Cup coverage into the United States has added another source. Sirius/XM radio announced today that the sattelite radio provider will broadcast ESPN Radio’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

ESPN Radio’s coverage will be spearheaded by American announcer JP Dellacamera, the primary play-by play announcer for the USA’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Dellacamera will be joined by color analyst Tommy Smyth, one of the longest serving soccer analysts in the U.S. Both announcers have a wealth of World Cup experience with Dellacamera announcing the previous six World Cups for various networks and Smyth has called 2,500 international and club matches with three World Cups to his name.

During the last stage of group play, matches will be played simultaneously. During this time Sirius/XM will devote an extra channel to World Cup coverage. ESPN Radio has not announced who will announce those matches.

“The anticipation for the World Cup has been building for four years and for soccer fans there is no bigger event,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS XM’s President and Chief Content Officer.  ”SIRIUS XM and its extensive array of channels will deliver every minute of every match, and ensure that fans can follow all the action involving every team from anywhere.”

This is great news for American fans with 9-5 office jobs. Many of the matches will be played during normal business hours, and it is much easier to listen to the radio covertly than watch matches on a computer. It’s also further evidence that the coverage of the tournament will be so immense, and access so that coverage so easily accessible, the World Cup will be unavoidable by Americans this summer.