Chelsea: Can Rafa deliver Europa League and a top four place?

Chelsea started the season with the possibility of winning the Community Shield, Champions League, Premier League, Carling Cup, FA Cup, the Club World Cup, Super Cup and subsequently the Europa League. However, after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Man City, their only real hope of success i...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Love or hate him, 'Mourinho' shows Jose really is the Special One

There are times in this cruel cruel world of ours when desperate sad acts like myself look up to the heavens mournfully, unleash a shriek of despair before dropping our heads to the ground and mumbling incoherently about life being terribly unfair. In my case, it’s usually something to do wi...

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Manchester United: Celebrating Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson is now in his 27th year as manager of Manchester United and has guided this great club to glory and so much more. Ferguson’s numerous titles both in England and Europe for Manchester United are evidence of his greatness. His ability to rebuild a team over the years and be able ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Michael Owen ensures we’ll remember, remember the fright of Movember

When the wise Jedi minds of future generations look back at the metrosexual, iPad-obsessed, self-serving era we currently reside in, they will quite rightly grimace and ask just what the hell we accomplished. We allowed Piers Morgan to prosper when he really shouldn’t have; we created and fo...

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Newcastle United's European adventure: How do we manage it?

After making the Europa League on the back of last seasons successful performance in the Premier League, Newcastle are now faced with the stark reality of a minimum of six group games in Europes second club competition. All of the Toon Army were up and about after qualifying for Europe f...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Lawro plays the Twit as BBC confidence turns to England despair

It’s easy afterwards, in the hazy mist of reflection that hangs mournfully across the country each time the England team are wrenched from a major tournament, to neatly nestle back into the default self-loathing English mind-set and pretend we were always doomed to fail, fated to forever chase the...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Euro Vision begins as ITV and the BBC vie for Championship glory

Ok, so it might not feel too much like summer right now. It’s about 10°C outside, caravan parks are under water and the only suntans in sight are painted on the vacuous plebs of Geordie Shore. But I promise you, we are there and that of course means only one thing: the European Championships have ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Chelsea win, but there were plenty of losers in the final day of football

There are some days that it simply doesn’t pay to be a non-football fan. We have a tendency in this country to lurch en masse into things and render them inescapable to the more indifferent among us. We latch on to an event, a past time, even a television talent show and let it consume us until we...

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Manchester United: Were their recurring Euopean faults exposed by Bilbao?

There are many sights which football fans rarely see in the game they love. We rarely see managers fall over, like the hilarious Roberto Di Matteo slip in Chelsea’s win over Napoli. Even rarer is the sight of Alan Shearer on MOTD (you know, the mannequin that thinks it’s a human) giving an insig...

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Beckham, Best, Henry or Cantona: Who were the coolest footballers to ever live?

We would all like to be footballers, right? The money, the women, the cars. Oh, and the playing of football. That’s pretty good. But some are cooler than others. Too cool, even. So cool they make everyone else look like silly, awkward, emasculated chumps. So who were the 10 coolest footballers to e...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: An evening of Eurotrash as United make their Channel 5 debut

European football returned to our screens last week as our plucky English clubs once more ventured to the four corners of Europe to mix it up with some of the mightiest names in continental football; goliaths such as Barcelona, Inter and FC Metalist Kharkiv could all be on the horizon. As the week b...

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Could these youngsters from Scandinavia be transfer targets for Premier League clubs?

Last time out I reported on the transfer speculation surrounding Ajaxs young Danish talent Christian Eriksen. While nothing has yet happened regarding a move by Manchester United, or any of the other mega-clubs supposedly watching him, we would do well to remember that he is still only 19 and des...

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Scandinavian Spotlight: Small countires with big ambitions - just don't tell Fulham

With the Danish Season now into its winter shutdown this weeks Europa League ties were the last on-field action for a while with Odense involved in Wednesday nights most dramatic match. Fulham were leading 2-1 and the game was in time added on when the hosts spurned a good chance to put things out ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A love-in for O’Neill as marvel Martin ruins Rovers’ day

It was clear at 1pm on Sunday what the overriding theme of the day was going to be on Sky Sports’ Live Super Sunday. Ed Chamberlain, growing more and more comfortably into the role of football anchorman, opened the afternoon’s football coverage by loudly proclaiming, “Sunderland’s new era begins tod...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A test of comedy quizzing is passed with help from the inspiring Irish

Ok, before we go any further let me first congratulate the Irish team on their impressive qualification for the European Championships next summer. There was the inevitable party mood for the second leg of the Republic of Ireland v Estonia match last Tuesday and I’m sure there are not many that begr...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Spain conquered, but Fabio gets a reality check from a Spurs and England legend

I don’t know if you noticed but the greatest footballing nation of recent years popped over during the weekend. You could quite legitimately be forgiven for letting it pass you by though, as the life of an England supporter over recent times has left the vast majority of us bare husks, bereft of hop...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: ITV begin to repay their debt with a feast of Man City delights

It’s the 12th June 2010. Seven thirty-four on a warm summer’s evening. My friends and I are huddled around my television, just as a million more expectant eyes are doing at the same moment up and down the nation. Then pffft … nothing. A moment’s darkness was followed by some guff about Hyundai cars ...

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What's next for the loveable Sven-Goran Eriksson?

It was only the other week that I was discussing the best football songs with a few friends. The best, apparently, was Baddiel and Skinner’s effort way back in the late nineties; ‘three lions on the shirt’ as I recall. The worst, not surprisingly which we all agreed on, was Ant and Dec’s rather ...

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Can any player, including Messi, be considered 'the greatest'?

Ah, the Champions League. Bringer of drama, stopper of dreamers, platform for Ray Wilkins to say ‘my word’ 50 hundred thousand times. And there are other things that are nearly always discussed, certainly when seeing the two dominant Spanish sides play. The great debate has moved from trying to ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Rooney and Savage liven up the tedious break in play

There are not many things that evoke a true hatred and frustration in my usually dreary and featureless disposition, in fact there are only three: anybody who thinks the enjoyment of a night out is heightened by the commencement of dancing, any television programme in which the words “Piers” and ...

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Scandinavian spotlight: Helsingborgs Secure Swedish Title, Slip-ups and World Records in Norway

Party time! That was the order of the day when Helsingborgs returned to their Olympia Stadium on Sunday night after securing their seventh Swedish championship. Following a 3-1 victory away to GAIS the players and officials erupted in celebration on their coach journey back home as local rivals and...

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Scandinavian spotlight: Titles Beckon in Norway and Sweden, Euro Joy for Danes

With the international break over it was back to domestic affairs last weekend and the first of the proper European ties this midweek. With mixed results in qualifying for the group stages of the European competitions all eyes were on the races for the championships in Sweden and Norway last weekend...

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Scandinavian spotlight: Happy days for the Danes, not so for Norway

As the dust settles on another international break some in the Scandinavian football fraternity have more reason to be satisfied than others. The Danes will be very happy, Sweden reasonably so and Norway very disappointed. As mentioned last week the Danes had the first matchday off and could afford...

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Give me Port Vale and Peterborough over England any day

What did you do last Saturday? Maybe you went shopping with the missus, did some DIY or watched some ropey film on ITV. If you follow a club in the Premier League or Championship it would not have involved watching your favourites in action, leaving the field clear for clubs in League One and Two. ...

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Scandinavian spotlight: Can Norway see off their main rivals?

While most eyes have been fixed firmly on the transfer comings and goings over the past few days as the window came to a close on Wednesday night its back to international action over the coming days. Here in Norway, land of the seemingly unending rain, football is gearing up for some international...

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Scandinavian spotlight: How Do The Small Clubs Survive?

Having spent the past two midweeks watching the exploits of the various Scandinavian clubs in European competition with the likes of FC Copenhagen jetting off to the Czech Republic for a Champions League qualifier against Viktoria Plzen, and Malmø and Odense also involved, it got me thinking about t...

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Scandinavian spotlight: Transfer Window Hits Summer Football Hard

Once again the transfer window is in full swing and the rumours seem to get more outrageous by the day. For many football fans around the world this can be a time of excitement and many a pub boss is grateful for the prolonged discussions in bars the world over as fans discuss the merits or otherwis...

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Will the new season throw up any shocks across Europe's top leagues?

Here we go again ... Its that time of year again. Your club has had some embarrassing/great results in pre-season friendlies and the anticipation builds up as the new season approaches, but what can we expect from the big leagues around Europe? Some countries, of course, have already kicked off, su...

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Manchester City: Tevez, Telephones and Tedium

Im not sure whats been worse over the last week or so, the phone hacking scandal or the Tevez transfer saga?Maybe if the News Of The World was still in existence it could report, with its tele-pathic powers, where Tevez will be moving to? If I were a Manchester City fan I would just like to see th...

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Scandinavian tests in store for Scottish pair

The recent draws for the third qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League have thrown up the prospect of visits to Scandinavia for both Rangers and Hearts. Rangers look likely to be facing Malmo after the Swedish club had a comfortable 2-0 home win over the Faroese side HB Torshavn,...

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Would you like to write for Squarefootball?

Do you live, breathe and sleep football? Do you have a passion for writing and want your views to be read by a potential audience of millions? Then we at Squarefootball Towers would love to hear from you. Whether you follow Aberdeen or Accrington Stanley, West Ham United or Wolfsburg, we can offer ...

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Has Berbatov made any progress?

Just over a year ago as the enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov was going through a lax spell, just as he is now, I wrote a piece entitled: ‘Berbatov: Is he on borrowed time?’ The article consequently underwent a bombardment from what were presumably Manchester United supporters, saying he needed more time ...

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Tottenham reach end of ‘that’ ten year cycle…

Bournemouth F.C. escaped dropping out of the football league in 1993, the man responsible for this was Harry Redknapp. This same squad also shocked Manchester Utd in the FA cup that season by converting the holders into also-rans. Tottenham were considered more a cup team before Redknapp took charg...

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Hodgson requires patience...

At the time of writing Liverpool were still in the Coca-Cola Cup, but the sentiment remains.BBC Radio5 Live’s Jan Molby, (after defeat to Northampton, 22/09): “ I think we are seeing the legacy of the Rafael Benitez reign right here…”Internet forum’s were awash with scathing attacks on Roy Hodgson a...

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Should ‘Woy’ lead the Anfield revolution?

If reports on Friday’s BBC Football website are accurate then Roy Hodgson, currently fulfilling punditry obligations in South Africa, is being lined up as Liverpool’s big summer signing. But is that a positive signal of intent? Hodgson enjoyed an enchanted last season but is the Fulham boss really t...

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Get on side and sport your colours for Shelter this World Cup

In celebration of this years FIFA World Cup, housing and homelessness charity Shelter are teaming up with Nationwide Building Society, Official England Team sponsor, to launch their fantastic footy fundraiser, Strip4Shelter. Shelter is asking people across the country to replace their regular work ...

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Beckham bows, Bale wows

OK, so the nation’s red-top readers might not be unified in touching an x-ray of his broken Achilles tendon this summer, but David Beckham’s injury and subsequent absence from this year’s World Cup rightfully dominated Mondays papers. Sure, his prospective absence isn’t anywhere near as pressing...

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The morning after 'Pool

The morning after. Usually for me the worst come down after a night like that. Being a Liverpool fan Ive not had THAT many disastrous nights, so have to take it on the chin and let the other minnows have their day-like every dog. So all the good deeds that I carried out before the match went to wast...

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Is Berbatov On Borrowed Time?

Flashes of brilliance best defines Dimitar Berbatov’s Manchester United career to date, (the sublime goal line turn and flick to set up Ronaldo against West Ham comes to mind), but surely £30m warrants more than intermittent touches of class.At the time of writing, his career at Old Trafford represe...

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Motherwell's Long Road In Europe

Qualifying for Europe is a bonus for any club and a boost for fans and players alike. Thats always been the accepted wisdom but for everyone connected to Motherwell that assumption is going to be tested to the limit this season. That is a season which begins on 2nd July- before the Wimbledon tennis...

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Ancelotti Looking to Move Away from Loser Tag

Theres no hiding from it now: the Premiership they won were nice but what Chelsea really want now is the Champions League. In truth, that has been well known for quite a while yet if any confirmation was needed it came with the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as manager. For, despite winning an Itali...

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Ruud van Nistelrooy: Surely A Snip?

If there is any validity in what the transfer rumour mill has been churning out, then Tottenham are close to signing Real Madrid and ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.Madrid have just smashed the World transfer record, (reported £56m), by securing the services of Brazilian playmaker K...

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Tottenham Hotpsur: Can Spurs end a torrid campaign with European joy?

Tottenham Hotspur fans have endured the season from hell. However, while spending the majority of the campaign in and around the drop zone, Harry Redknapp’s men have a real chance of ending the season with a place in the revamped Europa League. Spurs are currently ninth in the Premier League, two ...

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Manchester City: Can City end the season on a high?

Manchester City gallantly exited the UEFA Cup last week but could they string five wins together to enter the revamped Europa League next season? There’s no doubt that Manchester City have some world class players at their club. Stephen Ireland, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Shay Given and Robinho could wa...

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Fulham: Can the Cottage expect European action next season?

What a difference a year makes! This time last season Roy Hodgson’s Fulham were battling for their Premiership survival, now with five games left of the current campaign the Cottagers are in with a real chance of clinching a place in Europe. Fulham have surprised a number of people this season with ...

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West Ham United: Can the Hammers enter seventh heaven and Europe?

With just five games left to play the race for seventh place in the Premeir League, and a spot in next season’s revamped Europa League, is really hotting up. Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham United, on 45 points, are currently in pole position to cap off a remarkable turnaround this season by clinching a ...

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Credit Steve McClaren For Fighting Back

Easters traditionally a time for good news and hope so Steve McClarens story at Twente Enschede fits the bill. The ridiculed England coach is on the brink of significant achievement. McClaren never was the man to lead the national side, that much is clear. Whether he deserved the vicious wally with...

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Bayern's Bonanza And Luxembourg Defences

European football felt just like old times this week. When Bayern Munich thrashed Sporting Lisbon 12-1 on aggregate they revived the days when epic mismatches were a staple diet of the competitions. The way the Champions League and UEFA Cup are organised now, the minnows are kept well apart from th...

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5457 Is Football in an era of deval

by : Mark Carlton In a recent article in The Times, sports writer Martin Samuel argued that the prestige of UEFA’s jewel in the crown - the Champions League - is making certain European leagues totally uncompetitive and turning them into nothing but a year long procession for a team such as Olympia...

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1759: Europe: Whatever happened to t

by : Alex Ross Back in March 1995, boss Howard Kendall led out a Notts County side to beat Italian, Serie B team Ascoli 2-1 at Wembley. The win meant that County were one of the last in a dying breed of Anglo Italian Cup winners. Just less than 12,000 fans watched Nott’s County hang on to the win ...

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