Sports Category
Sports news, commentary and scores with wit and added value. We compare and contrast the best and worst sports reporting in the mainstream press, blogs, TV and online. We love the English Premier League (Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester United and Manchester City) and all things football but we cover cricket, rugby, the Olympics, tennis, golf, F1 and highlights of the sporting year.
Manchester United Balls: Red Devils Are Looking For An Official Escort Agency Partner
WHEN Burnley manager Sean Dyche talked not of League Leaders but Market Leaders, the Tims and Lucys at Manchester United Inc. nodded and very possibly punched the air and whooped. Manchester United are now all about money. United are not a football team; they are a brand that can attract £150million per year in sponsorship cash (plus £75m-a-year or the next 10 seasons for their Adidas deal).
Some of the sponsors are remarkably odd, like the £2m a year Casillero del Diablo hand United to remind eveyone that they sponsor Manchester United. No photos exists of Alex Ferguson, the club’s famous wine aficionado, handing a bottle of Diablo to a rival manager, but we’re sure the label fought of massive competition to be the wine linked to Wayne Rooney’s nose. Take that, Blue Nun, your Chelsea mad bint.
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Posted: 3rd, September 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comments (2)
The Conformity Of Sports Punditry: Gary Neville’s Sigh Sports And Sean Dyche’s Market Leaders
THE football world, notwithstanding the scrutiny of the millions of people who obsessively follow its comings and goings, remains a stubbornly closed community. One consequence of this, as I have noted before, is that it is an extremely conformist environment in which new fashions spread almost instantaneously, and adherence is almost total.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the language of the game. Words and phrases spread like wildfire and are used automatically by everyone within days Sometimes they spread outwards and infect society at large.
This month’s phenomenon is not a word but a sound – a sigh, to be precise.
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Posted: 3rd, September 2014 | In: Sports, TV & Radio | Comment (1)
Manchester United Balls: Radamel Falcao And Angel Di Maria Thought They’d Joined Manchester City
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson (second r) watches his new team for the first time as they crash to a 2-0 defeat to Oxford
Date: 08/11/1986
MANCHESTER United fan Oliver Holt wites for the Daily Mirror. He has felt United’s slip from the top of the Premier League to also-rans. It’s like the 1980s all over again at Old Trafford. But Holt knows what United need to get back to the summit. No, not a brilliant young manager marshalling a fabulous youth team. They need to spend. They need to be like Manchester City.
Holt wrote on August 19:
“To sit at Old Trafford last Saturday afternoon and watch Manchester United being outplayed by Swansea City was to feel a rising sense of bewilderment.Sure, many of us thought United might slip from the summit briefly when Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
But nobody – nobody – thought they would fall this far, this fast. They had been so good for so long, it just did not seem possible…
Everyone knew they needed to sign four or five world-class players this summer to have a chance of bridging the gap that had opened up between them and the rest. Instead, they signed two very expensive prospects, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera – then fiddled while their empire burned.
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Posted: 3rd, September 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comments (8)
England V Norway: Paper Call Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney A Fat Chancer
MANCHESTER United and England captain Wayne Rooney is a “FATSO”.
The Star leads with “CAPTAIN FATSO”.
News is that the Norway captain has called Rooney fat.
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Posted: 3rd, September 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester United Balls: Radamel Falcao, Herrera, Rojo, Blind And Luke Shaw Are The Stepford Wives
MANCHESTER United is the biggest club in the world. We know that because when foreign players pull on the United kit and stand before the advert wall for their close ups they all say, “Manchester United is the biggest club in the world”. For Stretford End read Stepford Stars.
Radamel Falcao oozed:
“Manchester United is the biggest club in the world and is clearly determined to get back to the top. I am looking forward to working with Louis van Gaal and contributing to the team’s success at this very exciting period in the club’s history.”
Nothing more exciting than trying to get back into the Premier League’s Top Four by throwing money at it. But that’s Falcao’s heartfelt opinion. And it’s one we must respect. And his English is really good, too.
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Posted: 2nd, September 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Manchester United Balls: Radamel Falcao Was Inspired By Thierry Henry To Join Manchester United
MANCHESTER United Balls: The Red Devils have gone galactico and hired Radamel Falcao for a the season. Falcao says playing for Manchester United is a “dream” come true.
It just so happens that his dream comes with massive pay packet.
Falcao was earning a fortune at Monaco. That’s the team he joined for £52m and opined:
“My heart has been with Monaco since my idol Thierry Henry played there.”
Would his heart have been with Arsenal, where Thierry Henry also played? Or The New York Red Bulls?
Maybe Falcao saw Henry play at Old Trafford and thought he’d try to do as well as his idol?
So much utter balls, of course. Falcao is a boot for hire.
What we need are facts. So. What are dreamy Manchester United paying Falcao?
The Telegraph: £265,000 a week
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Transfer Balls Awards: Arsenal Sign Cavani And Khedira, Manchester United Get Vidal, Kroos And Hummels – Falcao To Liverpool
TRANSFER Balls: Over the summer Anorak has been highliting the utter balls newspapers and football websites have presnted as fact. Time to review some of the choices cuts. As ever the biggest balls features Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Cheslea.
The Daily Mail told Manchester United fans that Miranda was on his way to the club from Atlético Madrid. He was looking at local schools for his children. He never left home.
The straw-clutching CaughtOffisde wesbite told its readers that Arsenal had signed Sami Khedira. The player remains at Real Madrid.
And:
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Posted: 2nd, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Key Posts, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Football Clubs Use Craft And Graft To Announce New Players On Twitter
FOOTBALL’S summer transfer season is over. The Transfer Balls have been digested. And football fans get to see what their team got on DEADLINE DAY. We’ll round-up with the little sticker-style photos clubs use to release new player news on twitter.
The tweets can be broadly placed in two camps: craft or graft.
But we’ll start with Jonathan Biabiany’s move from Parma to AC Milan. It fell through. Anyone like to tell him?
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Posted: 2nd, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester United Sell Danny Welbeck To Arsenal But He Wanted Spurs
TRANSFER Balls: Is Manchester United and England’s Danny Welbeck on his way to Arsenal? Or is he on his way to Spurs? Let’s see what the media experts have been saying:
The Guardian says it’s Spurs!
The Guardian says it’s Everton!
Ian Herbert says it’s Arsenal for Welbeck!
The Mirror says it’s Spurs!
The Independent says it’s Arsenal!
The Mail says it’s Spurs!
Metro says it’s Arsenal!
The Evening Standard says it’s Spurs!
The Mail says it’s Arsenal!
Such are the facts…
Posted: 1st, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Sports, Spurs | Comment
Transfer Deadline Day Is Forever Tied To Jim ‘The Clock IS Ticking’ White
FOR those of you not au fait with Sky Sport News, Jim White is the man who “understands” from “Sky sources” that he has hours of airtime to fill until a team owned by a billionaire actually buys a footballer from another team owned by a billionaire.
Once upon a time White was just another pundit with big black cans on his ears and a windproofed ‘SKY SPORTS’ branded microphone in his paws.
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Posted: 1st, September 2014 | In: Sports, TV & Radio | Comment
Transfer Balls: Arsenal Bid £40m For £20m-Rated Marco Reus
TRANSFER Balls: a look at Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus Marco Reus’s move to Arsenal, as told by the trusty media…
Number of words said by Arsenal on the transfer: nil.
Number of words said by Dortmund and Reus on the transfer: nil.
Yet the Metro says Arsenal are preparing a £40m for the Germany player.
The scoop quotes not a single source.
Vox Media counters with:
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Transfer Balls: Manchester United Pay £40m For Artuo Vidal And Line Up Joao Moutinho Instead
TRANSFER Balls loves a story that nags and nags. All summer long Manchester United have been linked with a move for Juventus’ captain Arturo Vidal.
On July 14, the Daily Mail said Manchester United would not buy Vidal.
But there were tabloid “hints” that Vidal wanted to play for United.
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Posted: 1st, September 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Radamel Falcao Joined Chelsea Twice, Signed For Manchester City And Manchester United And Headed To Arsenal And Liverpool
TRANSFER Balls: A look at reporting on Radamel Falcao, the Monaco player linked to Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Cheslea. It’s been a pretty rich summer of utter balls being passed off as a fact.
The Metro says Falcao has agreed to join Manchester United for £51m.
Is that to be believed? In 2013, the Mirror said Falcao had joined Manchester City for £54m.
The Mirror added:
…the deal is also a major coup for Pellegrini, with 27-year-old Falcao keen to work for the Chilean, who is expected to sign a two-year deal at City within a fortnight.
On August 29 2014, The Week asked if Falcao had joined Real Madrid.
On August 29, the Metro said Arsenal had a clear run to buy Falcao:
The ever dire Goal.com said that Falcao had signed for Chelsea.
The equally rubbish CaughtOffide stated that, yes, Falcao had joined Chelsea.
Of, course the same site said Cheslea had bought Falcao for much less money the year before.
But then the Mirror said Falcao had “already agreed” to kon Real Madrid. That was January 2013.
On Augut 7 2014, Falcao was heading to Liverpool.
On August 17, Falcao was heading to Juventus, said the Daily Mail.
It’s a Transfer Balls Royal Flush as Falcao is linekd with all give of English football’s biggest clubs.
Such are the facts…
Posted: 1st, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester City Beat Arsenal To Falcao With Sale Of Negredo To Valencia Agreed
TRANSFER Balls: It’s the final day of football’s summer shopping season and much media attention is focused on Monaco’s Radamel Falcao.
The Mirror says Manchester City will buy Radamel Falcao is they can offload Alvaro Negredo to Valencia. Readers learn that Negredo is “desperate” to move to Spain.
The Mail says Negredo is on his way, having agreed to leave City for Valencia. But the paper adds that he will stay at City if The Citizens don’t bag Falcao. So. In other words, no deal has been done.
And, yes, this is the Daily Mail which reported Falcao had signed for Real Madrid.
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Posted: 1st, September 2014 | In: Arsenal, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester United Bid for Radamel Falcao To Gee Up Manchester City
TRANSFER Balls: Manchester United have bid for Radamel Falcao.
Well, so he says:
JUST IN: 10 minutes ago Manchester United submitted an undisclosed bid to Monaco for Falcao
To recap this summer: Falcao has been “offered” to Manchester City, sold to Chelsea and Liverpool, and joined Real Madrid after agreeing terms with Chelsea and Arsenal.
Such are the facts…
Posted: 31st, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester City Panic Buy Radamel Falcao
TRANSFER Balls looks at the Guardian’s headline news: “Manchester City offered Monaco’s Radamel Falcao for £55m.” That’s Falcao, of whom the Guardian said on August 7 was “close” to joining Real Madrid.
That was good of Falcao’s club Monaco to offer another club a player for £55m. Almost altriustic.
Manchester City have been offered Monaco’s Radamel Falcao for around £55m (€70m) and are trying to make the deal happen within the constraints of Uefa’s financial fair play system before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday night.
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Posted: 31st, August 2014 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls Dead Cert: Radamel Falcao Heads To Manchester City, Chelsea Or Liverpool
TRANSFER Balls – betting special. Every day the betting industy pumps out PR missives that desperate journalists can turn into a story. Let’s take a look and see what the trusty bookmakers have been feeding the press about Monaco’s Radamel Falcao, linked, as he has been, with moves to Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.
As ever, there is no talk on the size of the market. It might be that a few people have actually been mad enough (or got insider knowledge – ed) to gamble on the transfer season being as it is full of “lies” (source: Arsene Wenger).
The Daily Star tild us to put our money on Falcao to Liverpool:
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Posted: 31st, August 2014 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Loic Remy Has Left QPR to Join Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. Now Read On…
TRANSFER Balls: Loic Remy has left QPR to join Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. Now read on…
The Daily Express has news:
According to West London Sport, 27-year-old Remy rejected a new contract at QPR on Friday and will undergo a medical at Chelsea tomorrow. But those plans could change as Arsenal put their hat in the ring, with Wenger likely to descend into a bidding war with Mourinho for Remy’s services.
No need for any war. The Mail says Loic Remy has joined Chelsea for £8m. The paper announced:
Loic Remy has completed a move to Chelsea from QPR
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Posted: 31st, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Sports | Comment
Lancashire Rejoice: Manchester United And Burnley Share The Glory If Not The Cash
BURNLEY and Manchester United drew 0-0 in the Premier League. The Manchester United team featured £57.9m signing Angle Di Maria.
In their 132-year-history Burnley have spent £45m on player transfers.
What if Burney had Manchester United’s riches to spend? What if…
Football’s not all that fair, is it? But Bunley and United can both celebrate the fact that they are from football’s leading region.
Burnley’s return to the top flight of English football is highly symbolic.
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Posted: 30th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Radamel Falcao Joins Real Madrid After Agreeing Terms With Chelsea And Arsenal
TRANSFER Balls: The summer has been full of news that Radamel Falcao is leaving Monaco to play for Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus or Real Madrid. It’s not only in the UK that the Press has been full of utter balls.
On July 3, Spanish organ AS said Real Madrid had reserved the Numebr 9 short for Radamel Falcao.
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Transfer Balls: Radamel Falcao Choses Manchester City Over Arsenal On Twitter
TRANSFER Balls: a look at the utter balls being presented as insider knowledge and scoops in the football world. We’ve spotted the Daily Express’ news that Radamel Falcao is on his way to Arsenal.
Anthony Chapman says Radamel Falcao has “dropped the biggest bint yet he will sing for Arsenal”.
What did he do? Did he stand in front of an Arsenal creast, like Mario Balotelli did – a few days before he joined Liverpool? This screengrab is from the Independent:
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Posted: 30th, August 2014 | In: Arsenal, Sports | Comment (1)
Manchester United: Louis Van Gaal Becomes A Joke
MANCHESTER United’s Louis Van Gaal was once hailed as the team’s savious. Now he’s the great rebuilder, spending oodles of money in a desperate bid to get back on top.
The Guardian peers inside the Dutchman’s head.
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Posted: 30th, August 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)
Arsenal Balls: Mesut Ozil Highlights The Problem Of Being Too Good
MESUT Ozil explains what it’s like being played out of position for Arsenal and Germany:
“I’m one of the best players in the world in that No 10 position. Fans, coaches, players and everyone knows that my best position is playmaker. It’s different playing on the left. When I was in Madrid, I often played on the right. I enjoyed that because I’m left-footed and I was able to cut inside to give assists and get shots on target. On the left, it’s more difficult. If I do get past someone I’m still away from the danger zone, still on the flank, and it’s harder for me to find the final ball with my right foot than with my left.
“But Joachim Löw needed me on the left. It’s not about the individual, it’s about the team. It’s not my favourite position but I was willing to play there for the team. It was difficult just before the tournament started that I was suddenly playing on the left and had a different role. I needed to get my bearings, which I did. I think I did my job well there. The Boss saw me as being able to play on the right and we ended up as world champions.
“The opinions of fans are important to me and I’m happy they have such high expectations of me. I have high expectations of myself. I know what I can do and in the past few years I’ve shown that I belong to the select group of best players in the world as a No 10. What’s important is that the manager gives me his trust and in Joachim Löw and Arsène Wenger I have two managers who do exactly that. Both coaches know that my favourite position is the No 10. I’ve played on the left in a World Cup and for Arsenal but my best performances come as a 10.”
Arsenal fans await the move…
Transfer Balls: Roma Sign Adrien Rabiot From Arsenal
TRANSFER Balls salutes the work of The Metro newspaper for its reporting on Adrien Rabiot, the PSG midfielder.
On August 28, the Metro told reders that Adrien Rabiot was on his way to Arsenal.
Not all that long later, the Metro reported that Rabiot had not signed for Arsenal. Instead he was “close” to signing for Roma. Apparently, Arsenal “MISSED OUT’. But there are no reports of Arsenal ever having bid for the player.
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England Balls: No, Roy Hodgson Never Did Call Newcastle United’s Jack Colback The Ginger Pirlo
ROY Hodgson has called up Jack Colback of Newcastle United into his England squad.
The Daily Express tells its readers that Hodgson called Colback The Ginger Pirlo, named in honour of Italy’s Andrea Pirlo.
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