Transfers

Excellent Observer article on the worst Premier League/Premiership transfers.

Only one I could add to that brilliant article is Jonathan Woodgate Newcastle to Real Madrid for £14m (injured, played a handful of games, including an amazing debut where he scored an own goal and got sent off, loaned to Boro and sold for £6m).

BTVision

I'm considering subscribing, now that James Richardson is presenting their programme.

Good interview that, with him; explains the Golazo and Gazzetta references from his legendary Serie A programme from years ago.

Robbo

Always a good read, this week Robbo lays into - what else? - Rooney's footknack.

Do new-style boots encourage fractures? It all started with the Adidas Predator, which was deemed a paradigm shift in technology, affording unrivalled control to the player, due it's lightweight build. David Beckham was an early subscriber to this, and he's had his share of bad foot injuries.

Do we just know more about the injuries? Before 2002, it would be a broken foot or merely foot injury. When Beckham fractured his metatarsal, the science and parlance of foot injuries suddenly became commonplace. So is it just the media catching up with the science?

It's an interesting one. With the incentive deals nowadays, most players will be on seven figure deals to wear certain high-tech boots; until someone eschews them, there's no way of telling.

Rooney's injury looked fairly innocuous, so there could be something behind Robbo's theory.

More Bolton

More bad news for Bolton fans... Andy O'Brien is going to be useless at his third Prem club.

Sickening

Seeing Benni McCarthy stagger and fall over was sickening, more so than most injuries. There was no real drama to Rooney's; fall over, hobble, not reappear for the second half. With this, you saw the immediate effect of McCarthy's commitment to the match.

Hope he's back soon. BBC report he's doing okay.

Oh dear

BBC report that Keven Davies is out for 6 weeks. Bolton will really struggle without him. What are the odds of Little Sammy still being in charge when he's fit again?

Weekend's top goals

If you can see them on YouTube or somewhere similarly naughty, then do.

3. Micheal Essien vs Birmingham
A classic midfielder's piledriver and a crucial winner.

2. Obafemi Martins vs Bolton
Lovely cross from Milner, chests it, then bicycle kick. Who needs Michael Owen?

1. Steven Gerrard vs Aston Villa
The perfectly-taken free kick, absolutely inch-perfect. Whether it was a free kick or not is another matter...

F365 reflection

Football365's feature on top debuts is a good read. The quote from Geremi is interesting:

GEREMI (NEWCASTLE UNITED)
"If today I say 'we're going to win the title' people will laugh at me," says Geremi with unerring accuracy, as Newcastle sit proudly at the top of the Premier League thanks to Obafemi Martins' goals, Steven Taylor's defensive nous and the addition of Geremi to the Toon midfield. He might not have been many Newcastle fans' ideas of a glamour signing, but he could well be the free transfer of the summer as he adds much-needed steel, leadership and experience to Sam Allardyce's side. The title? Not a chance. Top six? Why the hell not?

One of the big things Big Sam has done is buy well. He hasn't bought a superstar in, but bought solid squad players to back up the superstars already at the club (Owen, Martins, Duff). Geremi is indicative of this, and Sam's continued faith in Steven Taylor will allow him to develop into the next John Terry, probably.

Lower league sack race winner

BBC report that Carlisle have sacked Neil McDonald after only one match, a 1-1 draw with Walsall. They had allowed him to spend £140k on a striker.

There must be more to that story, surely...

Irn Bru

I note with interest that the three lower Scottish Leagues are now sponsored by Irn Bru. Surely every hardened drinker, sorry, hardened supporter of East Fife, Stenhousemuir and Arbroath will already be reliant, sorry, familiar with the product, and it doesn't require any advertising?

Scally Rock

During my time as a student, a friend of mine invented a genre of music called Scally Rock. During this time, 1996-2000, there were a lot of post-Britpop bands who fitted into the sub-Oasis lad rock category, dubbed Scally Rock, as in Rock music played by Scallies for Scallies.

Key bands in this scene were The Charlatans, Shed Seven, Northern Uproar, Oasis, Embrace, Cast and Ocean Colour Scene. More recent examples would be Stereophonics, Kaiser Chiefs and Snow Patrol.

I recently postulated the theory that you can define such bands by their inclusion on football adverts or MotD "Goal of the Month" segments. This opens the genre up to include U2, Coldplay, Muse and The Lightning Seeds, which I'm perfectly happy with.

However, I recently saw an advert for Sky's football coverage which had Interpol's "Hands Away" as the soundtrack. This is, unfortunately, a nail in the coffin to my theory.

(Thanks Scott)

FC United

Just wondering how the fans of FC United are enjoying the fact that the Glazers have pillaged the club of money by spending >£50m this summer on players?

I note that they're playing in the "Northern Premier League Division One North" next season; is there a more ludicrously named league? That's:

Northern
Premier League
Division One
North

Four parts. Where do they get promoted to? Oh right, the Northern Premier League.

(Thanks, Keith)

Blog fun

Credit to the MOTD team, though. Nobody asked whether Manchester City's foreigners would fancy it on a cold/wet Tuesday night in Bolton/ Middlesbrough/Birmingham.

- Martin Kelner, Guardian Sportblog
The typical criticism of foreign imports, seeming to neglect that there are about two Tuesdays in the football calendar, and you're more likely to play Bolton/ Middlesbrough/Birmingham/Grimsby on an overcast Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Sack Race

Always one of the more fun aspects of the season; which panto villain will be sacked by Christmas? Last year it was Iain Dowie in the insane managerial merry-go-round which got Charlton relegated and hampered West Ham.

This year, there are some big players in the ineptitude stakes, if not the panto villain stakes (Sven is probably the closest to that).

Favourite: Chris Hutchings, Wigan
For: Looks out of his depth. Previous ineptitude at Bradford lasted 12 games. Has bought Bramble and Melchiot.
Against: Dave Richards has been insanely loyal to Paul Jewell, especially last season.

Second Favourite: Gareth Southgate, Middlesbrough
For: Dour performances last season, lack of character, selling/losing strikers and not replacing them. With any strikers.
Against: Another insanely loyal chairman in Steve Gibson, who back Bryan Robson through years of wasting his money

Outsider: Alan Curbishley, West Ham
For: Poor start? Has spent a lot of money on problematic players. Chairman has previous and high expectations.
Against: Could start winning if he gets his new players to gel.

Dark Horse: Sammy Lee, Bolton
For: Not Big Sam. Inability to coax wonders out of difficult players, couple with inexperience as a manager, and crippling expectations.
Against: Not Big Sam. Phil Gartside is a stubborn git, and won't want egg on his face after the public war of words with Big Sam.

Bad Boys Inc

F365 report Dean Ashton will get rushed back into West Ham's first team if they continue to do badly.

Ashton is a top quality striker, and much of West Ham's woes last season stem from his horrific injury on England duty. If he can get a good run in the side, it'll be best for them in the long run, and best for England, too.

That said, Alan Curbishley might give Chris Hutchings a run for his money in the sack race; Eggert has previous, and Wigan owner Dave Richards has shown faith in sticking with dodgy managers doing badly (Paul Jewell last season, obv).

Not very good predictions

My score | Correct score

Arsenal v Fulham 3-0 | 2-1
Aston Villa v Liverpool 1-1 | 1-2
Bolton v Newcastle 1-2 | 1-3
Chelsea v Birmingham 3-0 | 3-2
Derby v Portsmouth 0-2 | 2-2
Everton v Wigan Ath 3-0 | 2-1
Man Utd v Reading 3-0 | 0-0
Middlesbro' v Blackburn 0-1 | 1-2
Sunderland v Tottenham 0-2 | 1-0
West Ham v Man City 2-1 | 0-2

5 results isn't bad. No scores is to be expected this early, maybe.

Boltoff

F365 report El-Hadji Diouf is not happy at being left out of the Bolton team that lost to Newcastle. They also allude to Anelka having a £9m get-out clause in his contract.

Keeping Anelka and Diouf will give them the goals they need to survive, providing their mental rehabilitation at the hands of Big Sam isn't thwarted, though they might lose them before the transfer window closes.

- me on Friday

Where's Beardsley?

Man Utd's front pairing might require Peter Beardsley to come out of retirement to retain the high level of ugliness, what with Rooney fracturing his ankle.