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How Tom Cleverley can learn from Jonny Evans

Manchester United's woes have been prolonged and almost constant this season, but the intensity hasn't reached the peak of potent pain received on October 23 2011. That day, United crumbled against the dynamism of their rising bitter rivals City, succumbing to a 6-1 defeat on their own patch.

As ever, livid supporters were eager for heads to roll - or at least one head in particular. United defender Jonny Evans had endured a torrid day at the heart of the defence and it came to a premature end when, as the last defender early in the second half, he yanked Mario Balotelli to the turf. A dismissal inevitably followed and Evans' role as the scapegoat was set in stone.

Read the rest of this article at A Different League

Photo: Ed Schipul

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Matic can be Chelsea's toffee penny

In the weeks after Christmas, it's challenging to avoid the cruel temptations of the Quality Street tins left lurking around the home. Sadly, most are already filled with sewing paraphernalia, but within those that do still act as a home to confectionery, only the unfancied ones remain untouched. Who genuinely fancies a coconut éclair? Beggars can't be choosers.

As heavy-handed as the comparison may be, Chelsea's midfield make-up is akin to an early calendar year Quality Street tin - and not because it's crammed with needles and thread.

Read the whole article over at A Different League

Photo: Шорох Сергей

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Premier League preview - Chelsea

While even he himself admits that he's not the infamous 'Special One' anymore, Jose Mourinho's return to west London was top of most Chelsea fans' wish lists this summer. Their cravings were satisfied.

Nearly six years after leaving Stamford Bridge in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, the Portuguese has arrived back in the Premier League amidst the same media scrum which accompanied his public appearances in his first spell at the club. His level of self-confidence is the same too, as is his incalculable desire to win.

Read the rest of this article over at A Different League

Photo: Ronnie Macdonald

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Arsenal season review - Wenger inspires unpredictable Gunners to minimum expectation

There were times during this season where Arsenal appeared to be on the verge of total meltdown. Therefore, the reassuring fact that the season ended with Champions League football safely in the bag seems bizarre.

Nine months earlier, it was all change at the Emirates Stadium; Alex Song to Barcelona, Robin van Persie to Manchester United. A summer in north London wouldn't be a summer if the Gunners didn't lose some players, with Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas all departing in previous seasons.

Read the rest of this article over at A Different League

Photo: Ronnie Macdonald

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Liverpool should be wary of Sturridge's Suarez-like impulsive streak too

A quick perusal of the newspaper back pages, television headlines and social media feeds this morning reveal that sportswriters across the country, and indeed the world, are today only interested in one subject - Luis Suarez. But has the ferocity of his gnashers on Sunday afternoon deflected the attention away from another of Liverpool's bad boys?

There are many statements which one can make about Suarez. One of the more family-friendly, universal views is that he's a frustrating footballer. His ability to squirm between cumbersome defenders with ease makes him a genuine joy to watch, but that brilliance is often counteracted by a less-than-convincing composure in front of goal.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Dean Jones

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Winner O'Neill deserves another Sunderland season

Martin O'Neill is a winner. Apart from a brief affair with Norwich City in 1995, he has succeeded everywhere that his managerial career has taken him.

At Wycombe Wanderers, he took the club from non-league to the upper echelons of what is now League One. At Leicester City, he won three League Cups and established the Foxes as part of the furniture in the Premier League. At Celtic, he won seven trophies and seven consecutive Old Firm battles. And at Aston Villa, he led the club to three top-six finishes in a row.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Ronnie Macdonald

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Brugge derby: Gudjohnsen can haunt ex-employers Cercle

When Cercle Brugge signed Eidur Gudjohnsen in a surprise deal last summer, there were questions over whether it was an ambitious swoop for an unfashionable Belgian club or a sign that Iceland's most celebrated footballer was on his way out. The general consensus was the latter.

For over 80 years, Cercle have been in the shadow of their city rivals Club Brugge and this season has been no different. When the two meet in a Pro League fixture at Jan Breydel Stadium on Thursday, both need the points, but for very different reasons.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Ann Ryan

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Mario Balotelli: a walking contradiction

It was the moment that Manchester City fans had waited far too long for. But even in their wildest dreams, they could not have imagined the moment to be as perfect as it turned out.

With time running out on their 2012 Premier League title challenge, Mario Balotelli helped the ball on for his team mate to smash in for the most dramatic winner the Premiership has ever seen. Cue mayhem among blues across Mancunia.

Read the rest of this article on Football.com

Photo: Олег Дубина

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Ballon d'Or: Andrea Pirlo's genius deserves more than awards alone

"Pirlo is unique," said Spain's Sergio Ramos prior to the European Championships final against Italy in the summer, "With a single pass he can open you up and leave a man one on one. Pirlo is their reference point. He dominates the game and controls the match."

High praise indeed from a man who can count Andres Iniesta and Xavi among his esteemed international team mates - the premier puppet masters. Both of those players made FIFPro's team of the year this week. Andrea Pirlo did not.

Read the rest of this article on Football.com

Photo: Илья Хохлов

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A Chelsea masterplan: how the Blues can still win the title

Chelsea' battling 2-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park was the first time they had avoided defeat against the Toffees since 2008 and has enhanced the Blues' chances of making an unlikely title charge. But what does Rafa Benitez's side need to do to break the stranglehold that the two Manchester clubs currently have on the Premier League?

Benitez's arrival was touted as the tonic that Fernando Torres needed to improve his dismal form in front of goal. To some extent, Torres' performances have been more promising. He has found the net seven times since Benitez flew into west London in late November - the same amount as he had scored since August, pre-Benitez.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: thesportreview.com

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Zenit St. Petersburg fans: We're not racist, but...

With Chelsea lurking around him for some time, Hulk's eventual move to Russia last summer came as a shock to many. Zenit St. Petersburg, the country's champions, splashed out £64m on a double deal which included the Brazilian along with Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel. It was the first steps of the club's attempt to establish themselves not only as the premier national force, but also as continental contenders.

Flash forward six months and all has not quite gone to plan. Zenit lie third in Russia's top tier and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage - mainly due to their humblings against Malaga and Anderlecht in Spain and Belgium, respectively.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Viatcheslav Evdokimov

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Reducing the deficit: AEK Athens fight for survival

"There were mistakes which altered the outcome of the match and confirmed once again that AEK's efforts this year are being undermined," read the unwavering official statement from AEK Athens in the wake of their latest defeat, a 1-0 defeat at Panthrakikos. It was a monologue of gritty defiance from the Greeks, unhappy with the performance of the referee. "We would like to inform everyone that no matter how much some people try to destroy AEK, they will not succeed."

The 11-times Greek champions are no strangers to controversy, upheaval and scandal but the latest obstacles which stand in the way of a prosperous future could represent their most daunting challenge yet. The club on whose shirts the famous 'Dikefalos Aetos', translated as double-headed eagle, sits are rock bottom of the Superleague with only 11 points from 14 matches.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Рыбакова Елена

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Arsene Wenger is not incontestable - but Arsenal's armchair managers should trust him

With your supposed title-chasing team tied at 0-0 against a struggling relegation battler going into the final few minutes of a football match, the last thing most of us would choose to do is take off our lone striker for a defensive midfielder. But then, most of us are not professional football managers. Arsene Wenger certainly is - and there was something unsettling about Gunners' fans aiming 'you don't know what you're doing' chants at him after he carried out such a change over the weekend.

Indeed the 87th minute withdrawal of the ever-improving Olivier Giroud in favour of the French anchorman Francis Coquelin was the final straw for travelling Gunners fans. They had been frustrated by their teams inability to create chances against an ordinary Aston Villa. A defensive change, as they interpreted it, meant that Wenger had gone mad.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Paul Blank

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Hernandez and Dzeko should embrace their 'super sub' status

There's fifteen minutes left on the clock and your team finds themselves a goal down in a match they really cannot afford to lose. Your manager, exasperated by his players' inability to break down the opposition, turns to his bench for inspiration. Looking back at him are seven expectant faces; hopefully all are desperate to come on and make an impression. But if your manager has one of the game's renowned 'super subs' available to call upon among them, you will be much more confident of getting a result.

A super sub is a team's insurance policy for Premier League goals; when plans have not come to fruition as expected, he can emerge to save the day. The front line of the much-coveted 'strength in depth', he is the palm which has the ability to mop the brow of the manager when the pressure is on. He is the audible 'phew' which is collectively uttered by supporters aware they have just avoided an on-pitch close shave.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Gordon Flood

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Diving is the least of football's problems

If planet Earth was visited by sport-loving aliens tomorrow, keen to expand on their own galactic games by learning those of humans, how would we introduce them to the game of football? How could we use a microcosm to explain the evolution of the beautiful game, leading to what it has become today? The positives apart, an excellent personification of the problems in modern football would be Liverpool's Luis Suarez.

The tricky forward seems to be back page tabloid news on the majority of weekends, for a wide variety of reasons. We could use these cuttings to explain about the dark side of football. Now, gather round galactic beings.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Ruaraidh Gillies

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Non-League Day: why should you make the effort?

The face of elite football has been dominated and polluted by supercilious tweeters and swindling divers in recent weeks. And while the Premier League and Football League take a back seat this weekend, you can still watch the likes of Ashley Cole and Gareth Bale in international action, should you wish to. There is an alternative though; albeit a thousand miles away from the World Cup qualifiers.

If only for one weekend, supporters of English league teams up and down the country should take advantage of this lull in proceedings by heading down to their local non-league club to celebrate the annual Non-League Day on Saturday.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Matthew Wilkinson

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Fallen Hamburg gamble on van der Vaart inspiration

Few would have bet against Borussia Dortmund coming away from Hamburger SV's Imtech Arena last the weekend without anything to show for their efforts. After all, Dortmund are the reigning Bundesliga champions and have attracted many admirers for their chic approach to the game over the past couple of seasons.

Hamburg, on the other hand, are a million miles away from the performances which once saw them lift the European Cup in 1983. Indeed, they narrowly avoided relegation from Germany's top tier last year. They had also lost their first three league matches this season.

Read the rest of this article at Football.com

Photo: Tsutomu Takasu