I can't wait for the new season

I want football and I want it now

Fiorentina is undoubtedly the meanest team in football

After four frustrating and barely deserved points earned against Lazio and Genoa, Fiorentina apparently did not feel satisfied with a 3-3 last minute draw from an Adrian Mutu hat trick. Therefore, they apparently felt it necessary to run a Genoa fan over with the team bus
.


Yes, they are this dickish.

Derby Time

So we have two excellent matches on the menu today, first there's Ajax - Feyenoord. Certainly the most anticipated match in the Eredivisie. Ajax were battling away for the title but had a bad run after the winter break and found themselves dropping to 3rd place. Feyenoord however have been terrible for years, the once so famous club finds themselves on a disappointing 12th place in the league. But there is still a bright future ahead of what is still one of the biggest clubs in Holland. Whoever wins this match will have a mental boost to either get back in the race for the title (Ajax) or back in the race for european football (Feyenoord). The odds are in favor of Ajax but with this match you just never know what's going to happen and I think that is what's so great about derbies.

And later in the day there is the biggest derby on the Italian calender. A game which is only equalled in intensity by the Lazio - AS Roma derby looks out to be a great match-up this year. With AC Milan actively participating in the title race again there's a lot to play for this time. Key-player Kaka is out injured so Inter have a slight advantage (next to their awesome league record). It'll be interesting to see how Mourinho and Ancelotti battle it out today.


So go out and buy some snacks and beer and then just sit back and enjoy...

So Guus it is...

Chelsea have confirmed their approach of Hiddink and Guus himself has stated that he'll be the caretaker at Stamford Bridge for the rest of this season. Because of his close relationship a-buyeverything-ovic ( well now it's more like imbrokemovic) he decided to take the job and this was also the reason why the Russian FA agreed to his brief depart from the Russian side (although he'll still be in full control of the team). So what now? Personally I think that Hiddink will recommend Frank Rijkaard when he's finished. Hiddink knows Rijkaard very well from their days together at the world championships of 1998 where Rijkaard featured as Hiddink's assistant.
So what can Hiddink achieve during his brief stay at Chelsea? Well they're 10 points behind from league leaders Manchester United so there it's just a matter of focusing on your own game and hoping Manchester United drops some points. Next to that they're still in the FA Cup and most importantly they're also still in the Champions League. Sure it's a pretty big task but Guus always has some tricks up his sleaves... seriously you never know with that bloke.

I don't get it

Why, Chelsea... why? Why would you appoint a world-class coach and sack him before he's even been in charge for one season? What are they trying to achieve? I think this is the difference between top-teams and wannabe top-teams. Real top-teams have a long term vision and strategy, wannabe top-teams start panicking whenever things seem to be going bad. Ugh... this is all I have to say about it, I'm just really disappointed with Chelsea's way of handling things over the last couple of years. So now their total comes to 4 top coaches which have been sacked for no apparent reason except for THEY'RE NOT WINNING EVERYTHING NOW NOW NOW WIN WIN WIN...


Ok, maybe they can justify Ranieri but still...

UPDATE



The Russian FA have declared they would not oppose Guus Hiddink acting as first team coach for Chelski next to his Ruski commitments. So we might see Hiddink taking charge at Stamford Bridge pretty soon. There's only a few coaches on the planet who could replace a powerhouse like Scolari (I still disagree with the fact they sacked him) but Guus is one of the few coaches on the planet who can bring the same class and finesse like big Phill. Other rumours are Rijkaard (ex-Barca) and Mancini (ex-Inter).

Kinnear takes ill: Newcastle win

When reading the headline, I was under the impression that Newcastle had won, then leveling Joe Kinnear with a heart attack of some sort, but it turns out the opposite was true. Still, no surprise that this both was a comically bad match, with every goal coming directly from a titanic defensive cock-up, and one Newcastle managed to win without the most comically inept manager in the Premier League.

Starting to take a hint Mr. Ashley?

Talent Scout: Barry Maguire

A lot of new highly rated talents seem to think they’re superstars after only having played one good game. With the latest flashy Nikes they run over the pitch showing off their tattoos and trendy haircuts. Sure it’s nice to see a flamboyant talented attacker dashing across the pitch but in a lot of cases all this showing off is greatly unjustified. Failing to realize that a team consists out of 11 players and that you shouldn’t only go for your own glory these players quickly vanish into the background and disappear in obscurity.

So that’s why it’s extra nice to see a different type of player standing up once in a while. Young FC Utrecht player Barry Maguire has stocky build, wears old school soccer boots and has a nonchalant hairstyle. Quite the opposite to most young players you see these days.
When he was transferred to Eredivisie side FC Utrecht in 2008 he already played 60 games at the highest level by the age of just 18 (!). This experience really shows off on the pitch and he has great vision when it comes to diffusing counterattacks and distributing balls to the wingers.
He’s already featured in 18 games for FC Utrecht this season and has always been a consistent factor for them. It’s probably best to compare him to a young Cambiasso, great defensive force on the ball but also good at passing and attacking. Next to that he can also play in defense, making him a very multifunctional player. Personally I have this player in very high regard, if he keeps on developing and keeps his feet firmly grounded (which won’t be much of a problem I think) he can grow out to be a top player. His strengths are that of a player which is essential in every top side you see today.


Recently he was invited to play for Ireland under 21 but declined. However I’m sure we’ll see him feature for a national side, be it Holland or Ireland, pretty soon.