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Joined August 2014
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West Ham disciple. Night-owl Premier League watcher. From Sydney, living in Melbourne. Sydney FC, Socceroos, Matildas. Is sport, Is good.
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In a rollicking match, Australia outscored Syria, confirming their progress into the knockout phase of the Asian Cup. 3-2 it ended and, as much…
Sydney FC have shrugged off last week's loss to Perth, beating Adelaide 2-1 in a sputtering match at Jubilee Oval in Kogarah. Adelaide, still…
The Socceroos were beaten in their opening game of the 2019 Asian Cup, victims of a resolute and hungry Jordan team, as well as…
Against a rabble of a defence, rotating in and out a great number of players, Australia's 5-0 friendly win over Oman did little more…
Keisuke Honda and Raul Baena were both late scratches from this game, so Kevin Muscat fielded the same team he did last round in…
Western Sydney sported their rather elegant black strip in this game, probably not the best choice for a 35-degree Adelaide evening, but just as…
Graham Arnold's 2019 Asian Cup squad was released earlier today, and the overwhelming sense it gave was one of brisk, unified hope. Arnold hopes…
The license fees, attendance metrics, fan-catchment potential, financial bulk, five-year projections, and all the other yawn-inducing details of the two new expansion teams have…
James Troisi is a player to whom labels do not quite adhere. It makes him a little hard to digest. A lot of what…
Western Melbourne are set to join the A-League next season, playing initially in Kardinia Park in Geelong, then eventually - in theory - in…
Is it possible that when Marcus Aurelius said "The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it," he was somehow verbalising…
In Friday's incendiary clash between Adelaide and Brisbane, beneath the crimson flashes of fury and the sickening slips into violence, there was an interesting…
Thousands of cumulative hours are dedicated to the national conversation about the standard of footballer Australia is producing and how it compares to the…
A litany of chances, all of them good and all of them missed, made for a torturous night for Western Sydney. Newcastle, below the…
There has been a creeping feeling that Aaron Mooy's value to the Socceroos is less than it would seem. Yes, Mooy is playing in…
Resentment and hope, pessimism and cynicism, sky-is-falling metaphors manifested in reality and the words of Kevin Rudd quoted unironically – the FFA annual general…
Graham Arnold was asked in the pre-match press conference about how his philosophy will translate to the pitch - a fairly pedestrian question that…
Having pumped water up against the Chilean dam last week, and found it equal to the pressure, Australia entered this match not knowing exactly…
We filed into a small auditorium, tucked away in a corner of a brand new, largely empty public library, in a brand new, largely…
In front of a healthy crowd in Penrith, on a fine day on a fine pitch, the Matildas were the victims of a classic…
Neutrals and QPR fans right now.
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[VIDEO] QPR vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog
Good Lord. What on Earth has just happened?
[VIDEO] QPR vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog
How undeserved this victory would be for Liverpool, assuming they win it. Those two crossbar rattlers, Sandro’s shot, Zamora starting and being excellent. Poor old QPR.
[VIDEO] QPR vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog
Wow. How about that open-goal miss… Oh Mario.
[VIDEO] QPR vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog
That last botched counter attack, ruined by the utterly static Balotelli, is exactly the reason why Liverpool’s attack has been ineffective with the Italian at the head. The way that Balotelli roots himself when he receives the ball makes flowing moves like that last one, initiated by Sterling, very stodgy when the ball eventually comes to him. Lallana was roaring down Balo’s left, but his first instinct was to stand and deliver a shot almost immediately. Sturridge, and Suarez last year, would have continued the gangrush, no question.
[VIDEO] QPR vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog
Steve, you’d know, has Mourinho not used Ramires as one of the front three before, a sort of muscular, defend-from-the-front type player? I think I remember this… who was that against, if indeed it has happened?
How much is Cesc Fabregas affecting Oscar?
A very well put response, and you’re completely right about Oscar’s work rate being excellent, even vital. I suppose my questions are about what Cesc’s taking the lead as the midfield playmaker means for Oscar on the attacking side of things, and whether he’s being best used simply as a workhorse to cover for Fabregas, Hazard et al in his position. Surely Ramires is at least as suited to being a defensive coverer as Oscar, with his work rate also being incredible.
Basically, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a noticeable stifling of Oscar as an attacker/creator this season, which would be a shame because I really like him as the primary source of central creativity.
How much is Cesc Fabregas affecting Oscar?
Cheers fellas. What this whole thing shows too is how Real’s reactionary Galactico-hoovering can be so damaging to team dynamics. Objectively, buying Toni Kroos can’t be anything but a good thing to do but in reality, like with the Makalele example that Bryan brought up, the Madrid hierarchy have continually stuffed things up, being more disruptively impulsive than Mario Balotelli.
It’s lucky Ancelotti is such a calm operator. For a manager to try and run a team, with Perez whipping out the Amex whenever a player has a purple patch, man, that’d be impossible.
Real Madrid mourning the loss of Alonso
Cheers mate, thanks for the response, it’s really appreciated. And how’s that Ledley King compilation? Such a classy player. I think the emotional recovery must be really significant as well, I mean, it’s only recently that Ramsay’s been able to play with confidence, it’s just a shame he’s so susceptible to smaller injuries too. I can’t even imagine how long it will take for Paul George to land on that leg without feeling nervous when it heals.
The secret to football greatness? Not talent or luck, but injury-free availability
I have to say, the article has been changed so significantly by the editors, it barely resembles the one I posted. It looked like this when I submitted it.
Arsenal's fearful return to Stamford Brige
I remember Yaya Sanogo turning into Thierry Henry in FM11 as well, how Arsenal fans must wish that had happened in reality.
Can Football Manager really unearth a superstar?
Ridiculous to discount golf. Obviously you haven’t seen the condition McIlroy, currently the world’s best golfer, is in, or how fit Tiger Woods was at his peak. Golf is incredibly hard on the body at the top level, particularly the back, knees and hips. That’s why it’s rare for golfers over 45 to win majors, in fact only 33 of the last 410 major championships have been won by a player in his 40s.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/how-rory-mcilroy-muscled-his-way-to-the-top-26839628.html
Gamers or athletes? FIFA15 as an eSport
You’re right, mistake from me. Slightly less farcical, then.
The marquee stars of the Indian Super League
Excellent article Sam, keep it up, good quality crowd-generated NFL stuff is brilliant. What’s your opinion of Frank Gore, and the 49ers poor start generally? Is Gore still key to their offence?
Meet the next crop of elite NFL running backs
My original headline was “Leicester City shock Manchester U-nightmare”. Catchy no?
Manchester fail to wake up from Leicester nightmare
Just quietly, judging by his debut against Chelsea, Mangala looks an absolutely supreme defender. Wow. The bench it is for Martin.
The worst football players in the best teams
Van Gaal will have to play Shaw now!
[VIDEO] Leicester City vs Manchester United: EPL highlights, scores, blog
Van Gaal will have to play Shaw now!
[VIDEO] Leicester City vs Manchester United: EPL highlights, scores, blog
Evans injured, Jones injured, Blackett suspended…oh dear, oh dear.
[VIDEO] Leicester City vs Manchester United: EPL highlights, scores, blog
Liverpool fans in the final minute.
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[VIDEO] QPR vs Liverpool highlights: Premier League scores, blog