Manchester United's youth system is the best in the Premier League

It is not a simple thing to determine which academy system is the best, so I've researched the backgrounds of all 233 players that qualify as homegrown, in the official Premier League senior squads, and my definition is simple: Which club's academy produces the most players that are good enough t...

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Prediction Panel table: Spurs shake off Wigan defeat to close gap at top

Football . . .it’s a funny old game. I was expecting some big scores from our pundits this week as there were four seemingly nailed on home wins. However, while Chelsea beat Stoke City, Liverpool disposed of West Brom and Manchester United gave West Ham a hiding, Champions League new boys Tottenham ...

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Sunderland v Manchester City: City hope to build on Liverpool win

Were Manchester City that good or were Liverpool that bad? That has been one of the burning issue this week in the game following City’s 3-0 win over the Reds and City’s visit to the Stadium of Light may go some way to answering it. The Black Cats home form is nothing to be sniffed at yet City seem...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League quiz: Week Three

Some people think they know everything about football, well let’s see if they do. Here I have 10 questions which will separate the Spurs from the Young Boys. If you think you are clued up on the beautiful game then prove it. 1. Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal: Who was the last player to be transferre...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League Quiz: Week Three – The Answers

Well, how did you get on? We’d love to hear from you. 1. Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal: David Bentley is the last player to have moved between the two sides. 2. Blackpool v Fulham: You could have said: Barry Hayles, Geoff Horsfield, Steve Finnan or Kit Symons. 3. Chelsea v Stoke City: Florent ...

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Prediction Panel Table: Wolves topple the Toffees

Wolverhampton Wanderers attracted a bit of criticism for their performance at Goodison Park on Saturday but their representative in our Prediction Panel, and current champion, has toppled the Toffees following another brilliant week. Chris Cox, the only pundit last week to predict that Chelsea woul...

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Following the Chelsea model suggests a Manchester City title in 2011/12

As long as the owners of Manchester City continue to back their manager, the club will be champions fairly quickly as long as the manager is good enough. Ordinarily spending guarantees little, but spending when everyone else is saving looks a far more potent tactic. Whether Roberto Mancini is good...

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Manchester City v Liverpool: City require Hart’s heroics

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina literally handed Arsenal a share of the points last weekend but he will be determined to keep City out when Hodgson’s Reds visit Eastlands this Monday. The Anfield giants looked like getting the season off to a winning start before Reina’s blunder and the battling d...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League Quiz: Week Two

It’s that time of the week again. Here is the latest batch of questions intended to leave you rooted to the spot like West Ham’s Robert Green! Last week’s questions were intentionally hard. This week we’ve lowered the mark a little but it’s still more taxing than your average GMTV phone-in. All the...

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Squarefootball's Premier League Quiz: Week Two - The Answers

Here are the answers to the second instalment of our quiz. 1. Arsenal v Blackpool: Alan Ball is the World Cup winner with links to both Arsenal and Blackpool. 2. Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers: Barry Ferguson is the former Rover who scored against Birmingham in 2003. 3. Everton v Wolves: ...

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Prediction Panel Standings: Toffees top the table

Everton may have lost their opening game against Blackburn Rovers but Toffees fan Chris Goodwin has given the blue half of Merseyside something to cheer by topping the Premier League Prediction Panel table. Mr Goodwin correctly predicted five correct results from the first weekend of top flight ac...

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Tottenham Hotspur V Manchester City: Explosive opener expected at the Lane

What a game this is to kick off the new Premier League season. Roberto Mancini’s billionaires head to White Hart Lane still smarting from their late defeat at the hands of Spurs at Eastlands in May. That result condemned City to another season in the Europa League while Harry Redknapp completed his ...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League Challenge: Week one

The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend and so does a new feature on squarefootball. Each Friday I’ll be testing your knowledge of the top flight clubs by posing you 10 questions relating to that weekend’s fixtures. There are no prizes on offer, only personal glory – we’re not made of m...

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Premier League Challenge answers: Week one

Here are the answers to the questions in our Premier League Challenge week one. 1. Tottenham v Manchester City: Joey Barton and David Sommeil were the goalscorers in City’s last league win at White Hart Lane. 2. Aston Villa v West Ham United: Marlon Harewood was the last player to have scored a ...

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Is Wenger Looking in the Wrong Place?

While the summer transfer rumour-mill has relentlessly linked Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer with a move to the Emirates, the answer to Arsene Wenger’s biggest problem, surely lies within Eastland’s rather than at Craven Cottage. Joe Hart should be Wenger’s priority in the transfer market. It would require...

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Who will be the Premier League’s top goalscorer?

Goals win games so it’s no wonder Chelsea won the league last season with Didier Drogba in sparkling form. The Ivory Coast forward found the back of the net an astonishing 29 times in 32 league appearances just edging out Manchester United’s star man Wayne Rooney with 26. So will the England marksma...

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Predictions: Who will be 2010/11’s main winners and losers?

If everything I predicted 12 months ago came true I would be a very rich and happy man right now. Unfortunately Arsenal let me down in the league, West Ham failed me in the FA Cup and letting my heart rule my head in the SPL by putting £10 on my beloved Aberdeen to win the SPL really was a waste of ...

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Predictions: Who will be 2010/11’s main winners and losers Part 2

Well you’ve heard what our Panel members have had to say for themselves, now it’s time for the “experts” to have their say. We’ll start off with writer Hugh Larkin. He loves the underdog but he thinks Chelsea are just far too strong for anyone to cope with and thinks Arsenal and Spurs are going to...

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Manchester City: What is their best starting XI?

Modern day football is definitely a squad game and Manchester City have assembled one of the biggest and most talented squads in the Premier League as they chase domestic and European silverware. There is competition for places all over the pitch and nobody, not even Carlos Tevez, can be guaranteed ...

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Bookmakers Believe the 'Big 4' Is Now The 'Major 8'

For several seasons the Premier League has been dominated by an oligarchy of four clubs- Everton broke in to this group in 2005 but even then Liverpool still gained entry to the Champions League that season. Tottenhams fourth place in 2009/10 represented the first time one of the former Big 4 faile...

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Fantasy football 2010/11 reminder

Do you think you can spend £100 million better than Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini? Do you think you could assemble a better squad than Spurs boss Harry Redknapp? Do you think you can guide your side to glory like Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti? If so then we want to hear from you. We at Squarefootba...

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Manchester City: Hart or Given – Who is your number one?

Most Premier League sides only have one recognised top class goalkeeper in their ranks. Manchester United have Edwin Van der Sar and Tomas Kuszack, Chelsea have Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario while some Arsenal fans wouldn’t even call Manuel Almunia a goalkeeper! Yet at Eastlands Roberto Mancini has...

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Squarefootball fantasy football invitation 2010/11

I saw more action and excitement this summer down at the mortuary than I did at the World Cup in South Africa. There was also a better atmosphere between me and my ex-girlfriend than there was inside the grounds, thanks to the constant drone of those awful vuvuzelas. And as for entertainment, I th...

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Which club will Joe Cole move to this summer?

All the major news outlets are reporting Harry Redknapp's comments on Joe Cole's future. Cole played for Redknapp at West Ham, before Redknapp's sacking in 2001 lead to a quick decline and a break up of a fabulous side that contained Lampard, Cole, Ferdinand, Carrick and Defoe (all in England's Wor...

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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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Chelsea are clear champions - but next year?

Rarely can a title race that was not decided until the final day of the season have been so clear cut. Chelsea scored 103 goals, a mammoth number that has simply not been given enough credit. And to win the title with an 8-0 home win that pushed the season's total beyond 100 goals, whilst the tali...

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West Ham United v Manchester City: Hammers seek winning end to campaign

Manchester City blew their chance of clinching Champions League football on Wednesday against Tottenham Hotspur so it will be interesting to see their reaction today at Upton Park. Will they come out of the blocks all guns blazing or will they treat this as no more than a friendly? West Ham United ...

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Pressure tonight is on Mancini and Spurs tonight - not City

The big four of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have been unofficially split up after seven years of either filling all the Champions' League slots - or at least competing strongly for the places. In 2004/5 Everton edged fourth place with 61 points to Liverpool's 58 - but that was...

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Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur: The winner takes it all!

Wednesday night’s game at Eastlands between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur is massive. It has been dubbed the £60 million game but it really is much bigger than that. The winner will not only be one step closer to their highest finish in the Premier League era, they will also seal the Holy Gr...

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Manchester City v Aston Villa: Villa target another happy away day

After being well and truly battered by Chelsea at the Bridge in March most people thought there was more chance of Oasis bad boys Noel and Liam Gallagher patching up their differences than Villa had of finishing fourth. However, victory this afternoon against one of their main rivals for the last Ch...

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What our Prediction Panel expects the fourth place battle to look like after 37 games

Within the next few days the four teams scrapping for fourth place will have all completed 37 games. With the games-in-hand unwound where does the Squarefootball prediction panel expect Tottenham, Man City, Aston Villa and Liverpool to be going into the final weekend? Match Predictions Tottenham H...

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Aston Villa have the momentum to secure fourth place

With two or three games left Aston Villa and Liverpool have closed right in on the two teams - Tottenham and Man City - assumed (for the last couple of weeks) to be fighting out the battle for fourth between them. Aston Villa in particular have narrowly won three games in a week to move onto 64 poi...

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Arsenal v Manchester City: Who’d make it in to the ultimate starting XI?

Arsene Wenger’s men blew their slim hopes of landing the Premier League title last Sunday with their awful late capitulation at Wigan Athletic but that doesn’t make this weekend’s clash with Manchester City any less significant – thanks in part to one man . . . Emmanuel Adebayor. It’s been seven l...

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Which team do Liverpool fans want to win the Manchester derby?

The Manchester derby pits fourth against second and is of obvious importance in that city. But just thirty-odd miles down the road, Liverpool - and its fans - will be casting nervous glances at the result. For the first time in years a Manchester derby might actually matter to Liverpool; not least...

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Manchester City vs Manchester United: Derby day matters

The Manchester derby is always a hard fought affair but it is a difficult one to place in the pantheon of derby matches. With some people allowing derby matches to simply mean regional grudge matches, Manchester United versus Liverpool and Real Madrid versus Barcelona can now be considered as derby...

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Manchester City v Birmingham City: No Hart, no points for the Blues

Manchester City absolutely annihilated relegation-threatened Burnley last weekend but they are sure to get a tougher game this afternoon against Alex McLeish’s Birmingham City. The men from St Andrews have built their season on a resolute backline but they will be missing one vital ingredient today ...

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Manchester United vs Chelsea: The battle of wounded ankle

There is little doubt that this game has been over shadowed by Wayne Rooney's ankle, when the country's top selling redtop just slaps PRAY in foot high letters in preference to actual news you know that we have reached a GOTCHA! moment. As to the game itself, this will inevitably be tight, both t...

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Burnley v Manchester City: No Laws can stop Tevez

Burnley recorded their only away point of the season at Eastlands but their chances of doing something similar this evening are slim and none. The Clarets missed out on a glorious opportunity to give their survival hopes a massive lift last weekend by losing to rivals Blackburn Rovers and it looks l...

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Manchester City v Wigan Athletic: City need to show their manager’s fighting spirit

Manchester City may have been beaten by Everton in midweek but at least manager Roberto Mancini showed his fighting spirit on the touchline. The Italian certainly lost his cool with David Moyes near the end of that 2-0 defeat but the former Inter Milan chief will be hoping his troops follow his lead...

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Sunderland vs Manchester City: Will Sunderland be more relaxed?

Sunderland have looked nervous in recent weeks as a long run without a league win saw them slide, seemingly inexorably down the division. But a thumping 4-0 win against Bolton will have surely calmed Steve Bruce down - who will probably have tuned to 5Live for the first time in a few months. Bruce...

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Liverpool's top four window hasn't closed yet

After another shapeless defeat Liverpool look less and less like a top four team. Three weeks ago I reckoned that Liverpool would edge out Tottenham to finish fourth. But a grim defeat to Wigan is making even that recent prediction look dodgy. Liverpool's remaining fixtures look reasonably simple...

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Chelsea v Manchester City: Will Team Bridge topple Team Terry?

This lunchtime kick-off in the Barclays Premier League could turn out to be one of the most explosive games in English history. Ever since the tabloids got hold of the story about John Terry allegedly cheating on his wife with former friend Wayne Bridge’s ex girlfriend and mother of his child, Vanes...

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Is Wayne Bridge right to turn his back on England?

Representing your country in the World Cup is supposed to be every footballer’s dream. Every one bar Wayne Bridge that is. The Manchester City left-back has kicked his international career into row Z due to the fall-out of John Terry’s alleged affair with his ex-girlfriend and mother of his children...

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Liverpool have the edge in the battle for fourth

The run-in for fourth appears to be a four-way scrap between Tottenham, Man City, Liverpool and Aston Villa. Although a fast finishing Everton may yet finish amongst these four, the Toffees will probably need to win 10 of their last 12 games to trump all four - which whilst possible is very unlikel...

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Manchester City v Liverpool: Rafa promised fourth, can he deliver?

Roberto Mancini’s men start the day in pole position in the race for fourth place but visitors Liverpool have the bit between their teeth and will not let their Champions League spot go without a fight. The Reds, behind their old foes Manchester United, have picked up the most points in the past ei...

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Stoke City v Manchester City: Can Mancini’s City rule Britannia?

Manchester City travel to the Britannia Stadium knowing any sort of positive result against the Potters will see them take fourth place in the Premier League. However, not too many teams have left the Potteries with maximum points since Stoke City returned to top flight football. Stoke earned a cr...

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Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers: Prediction Panel 2009/10

Manchester City will be smarting after defeat against relegation candidates Hull over the weekend, and Roberto Mancini will be striving to avoid a repeat against another team mired in the danger zone. City's fixtures have been benign for a while and are set to get tougher so this is an important ga...

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Hull City vs Manchester City: Prediction Panel 2009/10

Only goal difference separates Hull in the relegation zone with West Ham, Bolton and Wolves just out of it so every point is precious to the Tigers and after bagging an enterprising draw against Chelsea a similar result against Man City can't be ruled out. City could move into the top four this wee...

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Arsenal can still win the title - or finish seventh

When Arsenal crumbled against Manchester United on Sunday, and with Chelsea set to play Hull, most pundits saw an eight point gap opening up between Chelsea and Arsenal - with United somewhere in the middle. As it is a stumbling draw for the west London team means that Arsenal can go to Stamford Br...

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Manchester City v Portsmouth: City to focus on top four finish

Debt-ridden Portsmouth travel to the multi-billionaires of Manchester City this afternoon looking for a miracle. The south coast club have more problems than Jay Z but it’s their history with City that is the most worrying aspect ahead of today. They haven’t won at City for more than 55 years and th...

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