This month's XI: our future tips from 2006... |
| Here's our team from the 12 future players that we've done each month over the last year. |
| B.Sharp | S.Naismith |
| M.Jarvis | A.McGeady | G.Barnes | S.Whalley |
| G.Bale | A.Diamond | M.Bougherra | G.Halford |
| B.Foster |
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| Sub: S.Brown |
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The best football stuff this month... |
Northern footballing legend Neil Redfearn plays his 1000th game as he turns out for Bradord
Park Avenue.
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Feyenoord are thrown out of the UEFA Cup following the crowd trouble during their visit to
Nancy in the previous round. Buts its smirks all round down at White Hart Lane as Spurs
get a bye into the next round.
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Hotly-tipped youngster Gonzalo Higuain agrees to join Real Madrid from River Plate and then brings
an end to the French/Argentinian will-he-wont-he saga by opting for Argentina and telling
Raymond Domenech to "do one", in a comedy Allo Allo accent.
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Hamilton Ricard, the ex-Boro forward, is sentenced to 3 years in prison after killing
1 person and injuring another 3 in a car accident in Colombia.
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Manager in Talking Sense Shocker ! Stuart Pearce declares that he will have a word with
Samaras after City's Greek striker indulges in some classic diving.
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Player in Talking Sense Shocker ! Joey Barton socks it to certain members of England's
2006 squad by having a dig about them releasing books on the back of it. Well said young Citizen.
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Michel Platini is elected UEFA president after beating rival Lennart Johansson 27-23
in a close game of scissors-paper-sto... sorry, we mean in a close members vote in Dusseldorf.
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Paul Le Guen grabs the honour of shortest-serving manager in Rangers history after he, ahem,
leaves the club by mutual consent only 7 months after being appointed. The final straw
comes after he strips fan-favourite Barry Ferguson of the captaincy, leading to a "it's 'im or
moi" scenario which results in the Frenchman declaring... "I'll get my coat".
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Italian club Parma announce that the club will be sold by auction. The club has been in financial
trouble for the last few years after its owner, Parmalat, went bust. Some clever hack
inevitably comes up with a wonderful headline - "the Parma hammer".
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Reports from Turkey that Samsunspor were bribed back in the 2000-01 season to lose
a game with Fenerbahce.
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Arsenal beat Liverpool twice in the space of four days, with the 2nd game ending in a 6-3
drubbing at Anfield, the first time the Reds have conceded 6 at home since 1930.
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MLS outfit Chicago Fire claim that they have tried to sign both Zinedine Zidane and Henrik
Larsson, but without success. Surely anyone could claim this. Donny Rovers could claim
they wanted to sign both. And Ronaldo.
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Spurs 2:2 Arsenal Cracking League Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane as the north London rivals
share the spoils. Real end to end stuff with Spurs looking like they might thrash them in the
first half before the Gunners take charge and come back superbly to earn a draw thanks to 2
goals from Julio 'the Beast' Baptista.
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The most boring contract story in football history finally comes to a conclusion when David
Beckham announces that he's off to LA to take all their mone... sorry, to take their game to a
new level. Tom Cruise and his Scientology buddies rub their hands sinisterly as their eyeballs
change to dollar signs.
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Graeme Souness to buy Wolves ? Odd. Very odd. If it happens then expect him to go straight to the
top of a new midfielddynamo section entitled "10 Oddest Club Takeovers".
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A dull one-all draw between Everton and Reading is enlivened by the appearance of one
Sylvester Stallone at Goodison Park. Superb. We especially liked the way he got up to
celebrate just a fraction too late and then half heartedly tried to high five someone nearby.
Top stuff, capped off by a classic headline in the Independent: "Johnson goal avoids Rocky horror show".
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A dull one-all draw between Everton and Reading is enlivened by the appearance of one
Sylvester Stallone at Goodison Park. Superb. We especially liked the way he got up to
celebrate just a fraction too late and then half heartedly tried to high five someone nearby.
Top stuff, capped off by a classic headline in the Independent: "Johnson goal avoids Rocky horror show".
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Walter Smith and Ally McCoist sensationally resign from their posts with Scotland to take the
reigns at Rangers. Really unusual for someone to quit a national team to go to a league club,
its usually the other way round. Don Revie nearly did the same when he quit the England job in 77,
but at least he went to coach another national team. Talk about letting your country down boys.
So who next for the tartan army ? Paul Le McGuen anyone ?
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Werder Bremen claim the unofficial title of Bundesliga 'Winter Champions', as they go into the
winter break ahead of Schalke. Werder's refreshing attacking spirit is also rewarded when
their Brazilian playmaker Diego is announced as the best player of the first half of the season,
followed by team-mates Miroslav Klose and Torsten Frings.
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What we've listened to... |
| The Enemy: It's Not Ok (Single) |
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Absolutely mint. Listen to it
by clicking here.
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| Guillemots: Through The Window Pane (Album) |
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A couple of decent songs, but generally far too wishy-washy for us i'm afraid.
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TV stuff... |
| Mock the Week January (TV) |
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Dara o Briain and Frankie Boyle are consistantly funny, genuine laugh-out-loud stuff.
We also like the way that each week they seem to have one really un-funny person on it.
Is this done on purpose ? to make the others seem even funnier ?
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Films we've watched... |
| The Prestige (Cinema) |
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Another cracking film from Chris Nolan (the man behind the superb Memento and Batman Begins).
Starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as 2 Victorian magicians who become obsessed with
outdoing and sabotaging each other's illusions. There's a real tension running throughout the
film and its well worth a 4 out of 5 rating. Michael Caine, David Bowie and Scarlett Johansson
all crop up, with Bowie suprisingly good for once.
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Books read... |
| Paul McGrath: Back from the Brink |
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It's obviously going to appeal more to fans of Villa, Man U and the Republic, but this book is
still to be recommended to any football fan, even non-football fans. Its all in here - from being
an orphan in Dublin, to reaching the top heights of football, the alcoholic lows, the struggles
with injury, marriages and then life after football. Its a genuinely candid, emotional, honest
read, and a real antidote to some of the recent attempts by current players, the latest of which,
the laughable 'My Defence' by Ashley Cole, has to be seen/read to be believed, written as it is in the form "he weren't", "I aint" etc etc.
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Previous month's stuff... |
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| December |
| November |
| October |
| September |
| August |
| July |
| June |
| May |
| April |
| March |
| February |
| January |
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| From the International Leagues |
| Name: | Jesus Navas |
| Country: | Spain |
| Club: | Sevilla (Spain) |
| Age: | 21 (21-11-1985) |
| Position: | Right Winger |
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Flying winger, primarily on the right wing, but able to switch to the left as well.
Rated a better prospect than another former Sevilla prodigy, Jose Antonio Reyes, he apparently
suffers similarly to the ex-Arsenal whinger when away from home. Not that such an issue will
put off silly money bids from the Premiership clowns. Helped tear apart Middlesborough in the
2005-06 UEFA Cup final, and has maintained his form in La Liga this season. Jesus Navas and
Daniel Alves on the same flank ? I should coco. It's just a crying shame that Sevilla banned
tv cameras from the ground at the start of the season, depriving all those outside the Sanchez
Pizjuan of seeing 'The Messiah' in full flight.
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| From the British Leagues |
| Name: | Andrew Lonergan |
| Country: | England |
| Club: | Preston North End |
| Age: | 23 (19-10-1983) |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
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A Preston lad, Lonergan made his full debut for his hometown club as a 17 year old back
in 2000. Injured in the 04-05 season, he's since regained the number one spot and
has been named in numerous England U21 squads.
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