The yearly center-back crisis at Manchester United has arrived. A couple of seasons ago, in spite of having five center backs in Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, Sir Alex Ferguson was forced to deploy Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick in central defense. For that reason, Manchester United has grown […]

Surely, Louis van Gaal and Alex Ferguson have many qualities in common. But their approach to soccer is also fundamentally different. The most obvious similarity is that they are both proven winners. The Dutch began his managerial career at Ajax in Amsterdam, the country’s most prestigious and traditional club, and he continued his learning curve […]

It hasn’t really gone to plan for Manchester United has it? Unwanted records are being broken and despite spending a vast sum in the summer transfer window and shipping out a number of players too, the squad still looks unbalanced. In amongst the gloom though there have been some signs of encouragement. United’s sharp-shooting attackers […]

Another day, another humiliation. Newcastle United’s capitulation against Southampton last weekend was the fourth time this calendar year that the Magpies have lost by a four goal margin. Southampton helped themselves to four last season against Newcastle at St Mary’s in March whilst Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur helped themselves to goal gluts at St […]

When Gabriel Agbonlahor first stepped on the grass of Goodison Park at the age of 19 for his Aston Villa debut against Everton great things were expected from the Birmingham-born striker. His lightning pace and direct runs coupled with his physique and agility made him a nightmare for opposition defences. Impressively, Agbonlahor featured in all […]

Listening to European soccer is to be made even easier this season with the renewal of radio services in the United States for Premier League and Bundesliga broadcasting rights. talkSPORT, the world’s largest sports radio station, has been given the rights to broadcast coverage of all 380 Premier League fixtures in the 2014/15 season, broadcasting […]

Rumors abound that American international Geoff Cameron is being courted both within the Premier League as well as on the continent. ProSoccerTalk links Cameron to a number of clubs, the biggest name being traditional Serie A contender Lazio. But recent moves to big clubs have hampered many an American abroad. From Clint Dempsey to Jozy […]

Liverpool and Manchester City go again in Premier League play on Monday when the Reds travel to the Etihad to battle the Sky Blues. The two outfits played to a 2-2 draw at Yankee Stadium over the summer with the Reds winning on penalty kicks, but now spectators will see the two sides take each […]

During the World Cup 2014 at Brazil, millions of soccer fans and thousands of experts saw the renaissance of the 3-5-2, the classical continental formation of the 1970s and 1980s. Louis van Gaal, who throughout his managerial career has stood by a philosophy akin to the Dutch “Total Football” but been highly flexible in terms […]