World Football Columns
Alan Pardew
Life Sucks When You Realise Mike Ashley May Be Right
Is this one of those cases when three hundred thousand people are wrong? Continue reading
The Scouser Report – Liverpool Singe A Mournful Toon
Liverpool have begun to look like a contending side once again. After finally proving they can play up to their level rather than down to their opponents, the Reds must now focus on Fulham and not get caught looking ahead to a match with Spurs that may settle the final English place in Europe. Continue reading
Newcastle’s Romp Has Mike Ashley Saying Andy Who?
Back in November, I found myself defending Mario Balotelli and, at the time I didn’t think objectivity could demand a higher price. Now, as distasteful as I find it to be, I must say some kind words regarding Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew. After a comprehensive victory over Wolves in which four different players scored and despite injuries to Leon Best and Cheick Tiote, there is hope for life after Andy Carroll. If the Magpies can consistently run out performances like Saturday’s, I may have to change my opinion of the chairman and manager. I almost think I’d rather be sticking up for Mario again. Continue reading
The Weekend Catch: Football’s Best Fixtures For 5-6 February, 2011
The weekend has an incredible range of matches to sample. WFC brings you 22 of the best, from 12 competitions and served up by 11 writers. Help yourself! Newcastle v Arsenal (Saturday) – If Newcastle fans want to know what life will be like without Andy Carroll they don’t have to look very far – … Continue reading
FA Cup 3rd Round: Beanstalks Climbed, Golden Geese Pilfered
Written by Martin Palazzotto, Tapesh Patel and Eliot Rothwell As everyone knows, anticipates and celebrates, the FA Cup is English football’s opportunity for David to meet Goliath, Jack to slay his giant and the underdog to have his day. We all like to see the little guy come out on top, to stick it to … Continue reading
The Premier League Manager: Grounds For Dismissal?
Roy Keane was sacked Friday morning and Darren Ferguson a week ago. Each man had been in place long enough to reshape the team to their liking, tinker, adjust and make corrections. Yet, Ipswich were flirting with relegation and Preston entrenched in it. Keane was as bluntly honest as he’s always been in assessing his … Continue reading
Holiday Fixtures Report Card: Man United Refuse To Lose, City Fear To And Chelsea & Liverpool Can’t Help But
Ten Days. Four Premier League matches. A short stretch of time in the middle of the season, yet so much hanging in the balance. It’s a run of games which can make or break your season, changing it for the better, destroying every good result which came before or, in its ambiguity, locking you into … Continue reading
Channel Surfing: Ligue 1 Transfer News, Including Shocking Newcastle Move For Unknown Winger Ben Arfa
<click> Welcome to this week’s Channel Surfing. Unfortunately, we’re too poor to show re-runs of classic matches during the Ligue 1 break, so our content is limited to comings and goings or rumours thereof, with a French flavour. Normal programming shall be resumed on the 15th. We apologise for the delay. <click> Hatem Ben Arfa … Continue reading
Holiday Fixture Diary, Sunday: Chelsea Can’t Hold Off Villa, Newcastle Defeat Wigan
I can take heart that, as a prognosticator, I’m not completely hopeless. When I left off yesterday, I predicted the first two draws of the New Year would come today. I was half right but, of course, I also expected most of the scoring to take place in the Wigan/Newcastle match rather than at Stamford … Continue reading
The Holiday Fixture Diary, Boxing Day: 2010, The Year of the Berba?
In a wide winter wasteland, where nothing and no one can be seen for miles in any direction, other than drifts of white snow shifting in the harsh biting wind, a straggling line of travelers, twenty in number, seeking the same path but wary and mistrustful of each other, have gathered together at the edge … Continue reading
The Scouser Report – When Will John W Henry Show Hodgson The Door?
Just as I begin to think that maybe, just maybe, we are turning a corner, along comes another away game to completely shatter any illusions that may have been forming. Almost unbelievably, Liverpool have now lost a massive six games away from home after just nine games. With just one, solitary win, at Bolton Wanderers, … Continue reading
Newcastle Under Mike Ashley: Been There, Done That, Have The 38 Years Of Broken Dreams.
During the short interim between the untimely sacking of Chris Hughton and the inexplicable hiring of Alan Pardew, I have tried to gain an understanding of the Mike Ashley method of ownership. I know I’m not the only one. Virtually every conscript in the Toon Army has been trying to guess where Ashley wants to … Continue reading
Is Newcastle Throwing It All Away? An Unintended Sequel
Although I didn’t notice it at the time, Sunday was eight months to the day since I posted my first article on WFC. For those few of you who have been reading my work for the duration, I don’t know whether to express my gratitude or sympathy. That article, What Has Newcastle Really Accomplished?, was a good … Continue reading
Did You Catch It? — 28-29 Aug. 2010
The WFC gang review their picks, Ibra’s unhappiness, the Pardew/Saints breakup, the Bradley/Klinsmann decision, van Persie’s latest ailment and Neymar’s search for a proper tailor. And highlights, natch. Continue reading
Matchday: Southampton v Exeter City
The Boxing Day fixture between Southampton and Exeter City in Coca-Cola League One (English football’s third tier). Continue reading
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