Shooting ability is one of the most coveted of footballing skills and the prices paid for the likes of van Persie and the speculative sums quoted in relation to any potential sale of Gareth Bale confirm this. It has become increasingly possible to quan… Read more ›
Manchester United has announced that Everton manager David Moyes will replace Sir Alex Ferguson after this season. Here are five notes on the man who will follow a legend at Old Trafford … … Like Ferguson, Moyes is Scottish and has been named the League Managers Association Manager of the Year a record three times. The 50-year-old Moyes is 21 years younger than Ferguson and has not won a trophy in his 11-plus seasons with Everton. Ferguson won 17 titles with Man United in that span. … Moyes’ best league finish with Everton was fourth in 2004-05, though the team failed to make it through Champions League qualifying the next season. Read more ›
As we wave goodbye to one of the most successful managers in British football it’s also a time to focus on the ways that he has changed the football lexicon, whether it be through terms he coined himself (squeaky bum … Continue reading →
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Growing up in 1980’s and 1990’s America meant I was predisposed to play basketball. I loved the game even if my refusal to practice during the offseason meant my playing days were done by the time I reached high school. I lived for the game during my teen years, which led me to gain an [...] Read more ›
Chelsea and Tottenham drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, leaving the Champions League race nearly unchanged with two games remaining. Here are five notes on the tie: * Oscar opened the scoring in the 11th minute with Chelsea’s 16th headed goal … Read more ›
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of this season, his 27th at the helm of United. Encapsulating his amazing career in numbers is a near impossible task, but that won’t keep us from trying… 38. Ferguson won 38 trophies with Manchester United, more than any other manager in the history of English soccer. Including his time with St. Mirren and Aberdeen, he lifted a total of 49 trophies as manager. 13. He won 13 English League titles, seven more than any other manager. Read more ›
The four-team English League Championship playoffs begin Thursday to determine which team will join Cardiff City and Hull City in earning promotion to next season’s Premier League and the accompanying prize of more than $100 million. Let’s get to know … Read more ›
I showed in my last post how Major League Soccer (MLS) is a much more closely matched league than the English Premier League (EPL), with the wage cap and draft system increasing the parity between teams. The Eastwood Index This high level of parity can also be seen using the Eastwood Index (EI), a rating [...] Read more ›
May 8th, 2013 has been circled on many Premier League fans’ calendars since the FA Cup Semifinal round on April 14th that delayed that weekend’s Chelsea/Tottenham Hotspur match. In the interim neutrals have been hoping that both clubs would remain close enough to each other to make the rescheduled match as meaningful as possible, while [...] Read more ›
Chelsea recovered third place in the Premier League as it beat 2012-13 champion Manchester United with an own goal from defender Phil Jones, who deflected a lefty shot from Juan Mata on the 87th minute. Jones’ own goal is the fifth of the season for Manchester United, tying the team in first place in that category with QPR and Southampton. Chelsea had more passes completed than Manchester United (CHE: 385 vs MAN: 361), and showed better ball protection, with a slight 51 percent edge on time of possession, although it had a lower passes completed rate (CHE: 80. Read more ›
