Robbie Keane to MLS?

Robbie Keane to MLS could be a possibility. Afterall he is desperate for first-team football and he could make this shock move across the pond to MLS. Reports in yesterday's papers made out that a number of clubs would be interested in taking the Irish hitman off Tottenham's hands.
Harry Redknapp doesn't have room for Keane at Spurs so Keane is definetly out in January. These rumours of Keane packing up for MLS could true but a move to another side in England or Europe could be a better option as he is only 30-years old and has for arguments sake another three years at the top.
Keane did in fact have the chance to go to Turkey and sign with Besiktas. Keane instead opted to fight for his place which has so far proved frustrating considering he could've been getting great service from Guti, Ricardo Quaresma and Roberto Hilbert at Besiktas.
Of the clubs chasing keen the Vancouver Whitecaps seen very interested. They will be an expansion side in 2011 and are keen on a big name signing. New England Revolution with the massive Irish expat community in Boston could be the club as with Portland Timbers, another expansion side for next season.
Whatever happens, Robbie Keane will be leaving Tottenham in January. To where is the big question.

Fenerbahçe 0-0 Galatasaray

0-0 the final score but it was a good game as the biggest derby in Turkey took place at the Sukru Saricoglu. Both sides had loads of chances with the best on the night going to Juan Pablo Pino of Galatasaray. He managed to round Volkan only for his goal-bound shot to be cleared to safety at the last second. Volkan proved to be in fine form and later in the half had to save brilliently from Lucas Neill's goal bound volley.
Fener had chances to with Mahamdou Niang and Miroslav Stoch constent threats on the night. Aykut Ercetin was also in good form tonight as he had to stop wave after wave of attacks. Pino could've had a hat-trick but for Volkan.
Lucas Neill was also lucky not to be shown his marching orders after constent fouling on Niang but the Aussie got away and was key at the back for Gala.
Ayhan Akman was also running the show for Gala in midfield. The experience helped and he also ventured forward from time to time. Emre at the heart of Fener's midfield kept things going for Niang and later Senturk but it just wasn't a day for goals in this game as both sides were defensively good. Milan Baros was missed for Gala. The Czech did manage two last week but was missed up front where Pino cut inside from left to threaten the Fener rearguard.
The draw proberly a fair result but not the result either were wanting with Bursaspor still leading the way at the top of the Super Lig.

Cork 1-2 Salthill Devon

Cork last night bought the curtain down on their league season at home and it was possibly the worst result possible. To their credit Salthill came down to fight and win and they did that with a late penalty that moves them to within a point of Mervue to avoid the relegation play-off with Cobh next month.
Our promotion hopes evaporated last Friday when Kevin McHugh's strike gave Finn Harps victory in Ballybofey while Waterford United were victorious. The game last night should've been a farewell to the season in front of the home fans with a victory but that was not the case. Instead we had to settle for nothing while the game for us had nothing on it, it still was a chance to end the season on some sort of high.
Our home form this year hasn't been anything to write home about. Seven defeats in total at home did the damage as for promotion.
The first division next season will be though. Drogheda United were relegated from the Premier last night and so they will be our opponents next season will only one of Derry, Monaghan, Shelbourne and Waterford will definetly be going up with the other three playing Galway and Bray. A very though scenario but with the 2010 season behind us now I think it can be classed as a success. We have had a solid year from nothing to a promotion play-off push. 2011 will be a big year but so far it has been quiet good considering the cirmcumstances in March.

The big derby tomorrow

Fenerbahce v Galatasaray. The biggest derby in Turkey and if I am being honest proberly the biggest in the world after Real madrid v Barcelona.
So much goes on in this fixture down the years that it often decides the destination of the title every season but in the last two years both sides haven't set the world alight. This season both are out of European football after disasterous qualifying rounds that saw Fener out of both the champions league and Europa League within four weeks. Galatasaray were out after some dodgy displays.
The build up has been good for Fener and they are in a better position than arch-rivals Galatasaray. Frank Rijkaard was sacked during the week as boss of the Ali Sami Yen side after Ankaragucu went to Istanbul and rocked to a 4-2 win. Fenerbahce meanwhile last Monday were 4-1 winners over Konyaspor. Fenerbahce are the form side going into this game.
The makings of a great derby then? possibly. There have been some dour derbies down the years with the cup quarter-final in 2008 being one of them.
A history of sendings off is not surprising and with eleven reds in the last three seasons in both derbies I think we can safely say there could be another few tomorrow night.
Galatasaray haven't beaten Fenerbahce in any fixture since 2008 when a Shabandi Nonda strike gave them a 1-0 win at home. Since that fixture there have been four games with Fener winning three and drawing one.
My verdict is that Fener will win by 3-2 possibly and with a few red cards too to add spice. Whatever happens it is going to be a good derby and who knows maybe Gala will win at the Sukru for the first time since 1999.

Slovakia 1-1 Rep of Ireland

Oh dear! thats on the 2nd half alone. 1st half we were more positive in our play and that wasn't anything special. I thaught we did well to get a point in a game where we could've and judging on the chances should've won this game.

Seán St Ledger put us in front after 18 minutes with a cool finish and showed more composure than Robbie Keane on the night. Paul Green went off to the delight of most but I think there still is something and the game against Norway next month is a perfect opportunity to show what he can do.

Keith Fahey was exceptional apart from one or two deliveries his free-kick did lead to our goal. Ján Durica nodded Slovakia level beating his marker Glenn Whelan and that being the 2nd time in four days he has been beaten with ease. Márek Hámsík was creative as usual while Vladimír Wiess was dangerous at times. Ján Mucha though in goal wasn't as confident as usual and did concede a needless penalty on half-time. Robbie Keane not in form and lacking confidence saw his weak penalty pushed away by the releived Mucha.

Keane had an even better chance late on when pulling away from the defense but also pulls his shot over and that was our chance to win it.

On a night when Russia had a lucky let off with Macedonia not converting their penalty and Armenia pulling themselves into contention it really is now the tightest group in the qualifiers. No qualifier until March when we host the unpredictable Macedonia and maybe by then Keane and Given may by playing first-team football at different clubs to where they are now with both strongly linked with moves abroad to Besiktas and Lazio respectively.

Spain's fallen clubs

Spain has witnessed some quiet big declines in recent years. Declines with teams that were established in the primer División but have since fallen down the ladder. One name the springs to mind straight away is Real Oviedo. Oviedo are a massive club and have been in the doldrums ever since they were relegated from La Liga on the back end of the 2000-01 season.

Real Oviedo:
Relegated in 2001 after finishing just a point from safety the club from Asturias haven't been anyway near returning to the top flight in Spain. In 2001-02 the club in the Ségunda were in contention for promotion until they ended up finishing eleven points from promotion.
The following season in 2002-03 the club fell on hard times financially. On the pitch the club were like concrete sinking in a pond and after finishing in the bottom four they were originally relegated to the Ségunda B. Failure to pay players regularly during 2002-03 resulted in the club being demoted down to the Tecera División (4th Tier).
Real Oviedo by now were semi-pro and in the 4th tier just two and a half years after playing La Liga football. The club did well in 2003-04 by winning their Tecera group by four points from local side Oviedo Astur. However defeat in the play-offs resulted in another season in the Tecera. In 2004-05 they won their group again this time by three points from Ribadsella. Real Oviedo were victorious in the play-offs that season after beating Real Ávila 7-1 over two games.
2005-06 the club was in the Ségunda B. The problems off the pitch were still continuing at this point with the club almost going under during the last two season.
In 2005-06 they finished a creditable 7th in their group but didn't have enough to fight for the play-off spots. In 2006-07 the club was relegated back to the Tecera after another poor season in which they finished 19th.
2007-08 was a season of thaught for Oviedo. Back in the Tecera they again won their group and entered the play-offs only to be denied again.
2008-09 was another season in which they won their group. This time however they did win in the play-offs to secure another passage to the Ségunda B.
2009-10 was a fantastic season for the club. They fought really well as they finished 2nd in their Ségunda B group and they entered the play-offs looking for a 2nd consecutive promotion. However they were beaten in the play-offs by Pontevedra and so had to start this season in Ségunda B again.

Real Betis:
Although not completly gone from the professional game, Betis' demise into the Ségunda has been followed with massive disappointment. Having played Champions League football back in 2005-06 after finishing 4th in La Liga the previous season these are desperate times for Betis. Relegated from La Liga on the final day of the 2008-09 season the club have been taking the Ségunda well. The were extremly unlucky not to have won promotion in 2009-10 after being pipped by the narrowest of margins by Hércules. This season however the club have done well and are currently 3rd in the Ségunda. They have lost some good players down the years such as Mehmet Aurélio, Rivera, Edú, Ricardo Oliveira and Sergio García.

Celta Vigo:
Celta Vigo are a side that not so long ago were perhaps the 4th best side in Spain during Valencia and Barcelona's lean years on 2002-03. The 'Los Celestes' finished 4th in La Liga in 2002-03 which meant Champions League qualification. The reached the last 16 in 2003-04 but that was a distraction from their awful league season. The were relegated on the back of finishing 19th in 2003-04.
In 2004-05 the club were playing Ségunda football. The club did well on the pitch by earning promotion straight back to La Liga for 2005-06. The 2005-06 season was a good one for the club as they finished 6th and earned a UEFA cup spot. In 2006-07 they finished 19th again and fell through the relegated trap door for the 2nd time in three seasons.
In 2007-08 the club came out of a low period in which administration was a severe possibility. They survived off the pitch and on the pitch only survived another relegation by two points.
2008-09 was a season of more struggle as the club were on hard times financially. They survived again by five points and the period looks set to continue.
In 2009-10 the club despite finishing 12th avoided the drop by two points due to the Ségunda being really tight that season.
2010-11 has started very well for the club. They sit top of the pile with six wins from seven by the 10th of October.

Deportivo Alavés:
Alavés are another side that has fallen. The club proberly most famous for that enthralling 5-4 UEFA cup final defeat in 2001 to Liverpool have been up and down and down further in recent years and are a shadow of that 2001 side.
They were last in the Primera División back in 2005-06 when they dropped down. In 2006-07 they battled relegation from the Ségunda and survived. The following season they survived by just a point.
In 2008-09 they weren't so lucky. They were relegated by four points and into the Ségunda B they went. In 2009-10 they did miss out on the play-offs by a point after finishing 5th in their group.
So far in 2010-11 they have managed to start well and are 3rd in their group. The hopes are for promotion obivously.

Rayo Vallecano:
The Madrid-based Rayo were last playing La Liga football in 2002-03 when they finished bottom and suffered relegation to the Ségunda. In 2003-04 they were relegated again after finishing 21st.
In the 2004-05 season in Ségunda B they managed to finish 3rd but lost in the play-offs which resulted in another year in the 3rd tier. In 2005-06 they managed to reach the play-offs again but were denied in the play-offs.
2006-07 saw another challenege on the play-offs but after finishing 2nd it ended with the same result. The following season however Rayo finally broke their duct when they won the play-offs after winning their group.
The 2008-09 season the were back in the Ségunda and almost secured another promotion but ended up in 5th place. the 2009-10 season was a mid-table season and they finished 11th with no real danger of relegation or promotion.
So far in 2010-11 they are 2nd and looking for promotion back to La Liga.

UD Las Palmas:
Las Palmas are a big club on the canaries and have been outside the top flight in Spain since 2001-02 when they were relegated along with fellow Canary Islanders Tenerife. 5th place was all they could muster in 2002-03 but the 2003-04 season was one of massive disappointment for the club. They were relegated to the Ségunda B after finishing 18th. It took them until the 2005-06 season to return to the Ségunda after a 3rd place finish. Since then they have been in the Ségunda. They came close to going down again in 2006-07 and 2009-10 but have started well in 2010-11 and are looking to become the Canaries' only side in La Liga next season.

Rep of Ireland 2-3 Russia

A defeat that could've been worse. We had to thank Robbie Keane for winning a penalty in the 70th minute to get ourselves within a fighting chance of winning while a late Shane Long 2nd confirmed a late rally for an equiliser.
Russia were fantastic to their credit by opening up our defense at any given opportunity and while their 3rd goal might have had the element of luck with a deflection in off the post past a helpless Shay Given there was no luck involved in their other two goals.
Alexander Kerzhakov continued his blistering form with the first goal that came from a free-kick out on the far side. Kerzhakov managed to avade Glenn Whelan before stabbing home off Seán St Ledger on the line.
The 2nd goal was pure class with Andrey Arshavin involved and teeing up a wonderful cross for Alan Dzagoev to side foot brilliently past Given. A goal of pure quality and pace which knocked us out of our stride.
Before the goals though Robbie Keane hit the bar with a cross that otherwise would've met Kevin Doyle for the Wolves man to head into the net in front of the Russian fans. Aiden McGeady now of Spartak Moskva had a mixed night to be fair but his pace late on was troubling the Russian rearguard.
With Slovakia after going down 3-1 in Armenia it was important to get a good result in this game but despite the late rally it was not to be as Russia joined but us and Slovakia on six points in Group 2 with both Macedonia and Armenia two points further back with Andorra languishing at the bottom yet to pick up a point after they lost today at home to Macedonia by two goals to nil.

Cobh enter the play-off

Cobh Ramblers are a play-off away from ending their two-year stint in the A-championship, Ireland's 3rd tier.
It has been an eventful last few years for Ramblers after they won the First division in 2007 only to be relegated in their first season back in the Premier in thirteen years the following year. They encountered serious financial worries during 2008 which had put the club's future in doubt. The FAI made the decision in 2009 to kick Cobh into the A-Championship but that did ensure the future of the St Colman's park outfit was ensured.
2009 though was desperatly poor for the Ramblers. They had an inexperienced side and only won six points in the entire campaign.
This year though the extra year under their belts the Ramblers, under the managment of Dave Hill have won a play-off spot after securing a fantastic 5-0 win last Saturday over fellow play-off hopefuls Tralee Dynamos.
November will be a key month for the Ramblers and they have time to prepare as they have completed their league campaign. They won't play again until November so Dave Hill has time to prepare but perhaps the lack of match practise by then maybe crucial.
Cobh will face either Salthill Devon or Mervue United with both those sides neck and neck at the bottom of the table with just three rounds remaining.

Mainz in seventh heaven

Mainz deserve credit and enormous credit at that. The team have come from no where to take the Bundesliga by storm this season and today they notched up win number seven from seven games.
The stars of the show have been Lewis Holtby and Andreas Shurrle. Former Real Madrid B pocher Adam Szalai and Sami Allagui have also been impressive for the reds. Last weekend they went to Bayern Munich and won 2-1 which made headlines around the country but the unlikely table-toppers do face a tricky few weeks with Hamburg at home next week followed by games with Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg.
Last season Main finished 9th in the league and recorded just twelve wins and with seven already this term they are well on course to beat that. Coach Thomas Tuchel deserves credit also for the way he has set up his side this season.

Cork City's promotion push

Cork City are nearing the end of the season. A season that has been one of consolidation if anything. At the start of the season I said anything would be good enough and that anything is turning into a promotion spot via the play-offs. The club have had to start from scratch in March with just thirteen players for the first game away to Derry to what could be a promotion play-off spot on the eve of holloween.

Should the club get promoted it would be a miracle season. A season that started so bleakly with the Cork City FC wound up to the Cork City Foras co-op earning a place in the premier division a year on. Players have come and gone with the likes of Uros Hojan, Dave Rogers and Derek Varian coming and going while the signings have included former greats Billy Woods, George O'Callaghan and Neal Horgan. Players who were with us when we won the league in 2005.

Manager Tommy Dunne deserves enormous credit for what he has achieved this year. I think he was the only man for the job as I didn't think Roddy Collins had what it takes but Dunne had experience having worked under Paul Doolin in 2009 with the old club.

It might be tough to give him manager of the year as Mike Cooke has done extremly well with Monaghan but certainly worth a shout as he has had to create a squad from scratch and look at what he has now!

The run in is slightly good for Cork. Defeat tonight against Shelbourne isn't the end but it is a big blow with promotion rivals Monaghan coming to town next Saturday before we face Finn Harps, Salthill Devon and Wexford Youth in our final three games. Looking at them I certainly beleive it is possible to win all four but the game against Monaghan and the trip to Finn Harps are diffcult games.

What happened to Sergio Asenjo?

Sergio Asenjo is a very interesting goalkeeper. One of many tipped for greatness as in getting into the Spain squad but just like most of them they couldn't unsettle Iker Casillas who remains as no.1 in the national side.

Sergio Asenjo was one that just two years ago was tipped for a good things. Two years ago he broke into the Real Valladolid team. The Valladolid team was battling relegation from La Liga but after some quiet erratic performances from senior keeper Ludovic Buttelle and Alberto it was the turn of Sergio to see what he could do. He took the league by storm with just one goal conceded in five as Valladolid pushed towards Europe in 2007-08.

His performances that season earned him a three-year contract and the following season kept Valladolid up by goal difference. He left that summer in 2009 to sign for Atlético Madrid which seemed a good deal for both sides with Atlético inherting a rising keeper and Valladolid a handy €5 million.

The 2009-10 season started promising but some mistakes in a few games saw him dropped which allowed David De Gea to take charge for Atlético and he hasen't lost his place since. Asenjo has remained on the bench but has vowed to fight for his place while De Gea attracts the interest of Man United and other big name admirers.

Still only 21 Asenjo has time to establish himself and if as expected De Gea departs soon Atlético have a very handy back-up. He should bounce back as he has great agility and shot stopping.

The World cup 2018 and 2022

The decision is due in December and the hype is getting higher and higher with every passing month. This bidding process is the biggest ever to host a world cup and since FIFA have scrapped the rotation policy that bought the World cup to Africa for the first time earlier this year. A number of countries are bidding from England to Australia.

England:
The English bid is an interesting one as being the "home" of football it is destined to host another world cup. There is also the stadiums aspect. England is very secure in this area. A few renovation are needed in the likes of Bristol and Milton Keynes but no new stadiums are needed. Their transport links are good and the following is massive. England are the favourites for 2018.

Russia:
The Russian bid is a bid that is challenging the English bid. The stadiums may need a bit of a renovation and the dependency on Moscow is a bid point. Four stadiums are proposed including the Luzhniki plus the Spartak and Dynamo stadiums. St Petersburg and Kazan are also named with Yekaterinburg and Samara the smaller cities to have a stadium in the bid.

United States:
The US bid is very strong. Fresh from hosting in 1994 they are keen to host again in 2018 and 2022. The sport needs to be grown which is the objective for this bid. They have the stadiums, transport and accomodation so remain a big favourite.

Barcelona shocked

Barcelona were humbled by newly promoted Hércules. Hércules who hail from Alicante gave Barca a real stunner as Paraguayan Nelson Haedo Váldez netted twice. The first goal Váldez managed to squeeze over the line but his 2nd was pure quality as his strike left Victor Váldes beaten.
The defeat allowed Real Madrid to climb above them in the table after a 1-0 win over Osasuna. A Ricardo Carvalho strike was enough as José Mourinho claimed his first victory as Madrid boss.
Elsewhere on Saturday in Spain, Valencia were 1-0 winners over Racing Santander with dutchman Hedwiges Maduro getting the only goal. Atlético Madrid went to San Mamés and won as Diego Forlán and Tiago both scored to secure three points despite Fernando Llorente following up his strike for Spain in mid-week.

Names Trappatoni could consider

This Irish team that Giovani Trappatoni as assembled in his two year reign is a nice strong competitive team that does have its pros and cons.
One area many would agree with that is a bit weak is the central midfield. Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews have been the preferred options but just looking around there are a couple of other unlikely names that might well do a good job.
Darron Gibson is one but is already of Trappatoni's radar. Seán Scannell at Crystal Palace is young and raw and may not be ready for internationals for another few years but just looking outside of England and Scotland we have Barry Maguire of FC Utrecht. He did his potential international career no harm with a goal against Celtic a few weeks ago and has come out and said he wants to play for the Irish team. Maguire is a midfielder/defender and could be a useful player due to his John O'Shea style versatility.
Darren O'Dea is another player that has caught the eye and deserves a shout and another is possibly Matthew Cassidy of AEL in Cyprus. Cassidy, a former Bolton trainee is the first Irish player to play in Cyprus and has already featured for the U-21s down the years.

Other players in different positions are highly-rated Union Berlin left-back Patrick Kohlmann. Kohlmann is German-born but has an Irish father and has been solid for Union Berlin since moving from Borussia Dortmund a few years back. Obivously wingers are in a bit of short supply but Kevin Walker of AIK in Sweden is an option out on the wing but can equally play in central midfield so another versatile player. His brother Robert does play in the 2nd tier of Swedish football but is an Allsvenskan ability player and could also be looked at for his versatility in midfield and attack.
New Pacos Ferreira striker Pádraig Amond has proved at League of Ireland level that he is a goal scoring hitman and it will be interesting to see if he gets similar success in the Superliga. Cillian Sheridan has made his way to Bulgaria with CSKA and for the past few years has been knocking on the door for Trappatoni.
In Scotland Anthony Stokes has been exceptional with Hibernian and a few years back Falkirk. Up in Sweden Anto Flood made his name in his short spell with Galway United is a striker/winger.

Just a couple of names there that could make the break to international football. There are up an coming players in England and Scotland too but this was really a post about the Irish players or eligable players abroad in Europe.

Republic of Ireland 3-1 Andorra

Tuesday night was a night when we saw the Republic of Ireland make their best start to a qualifying group for any tournament in twelve years but we also saw the other darker side of this Trappatoni team.
Yes 3-1 is a victory and a handy two goal gap which may prove useful in what will be a very tight group but the manner of the side on Tuesday left me a bit worried. I like to take positives out of things so I will start with them.
Kevin Doyle's goal was a superb strike that came from a stumble in the Andorran defense. A goal that was dripping in quality that had serve which beat Gomez in the Andorran goal. Robbie Keane looked a bit off the pace but his clinching goal was well taken and taken by a man with confidence.
the negatives which there aren't many, may prove more desisive against higher class opposition than andorra such as Russia or Slovakia. I aspect was the goal Andorra scored just before the interval. A loss of concentration in the defense allowed Martínez to thunder his strike brilliently past Given is a worry. Shay Given looked shaky with a particular shot in the first half that he managed to parry for a corner. The goal left Given with no chance and it wasn't his fault but the defense needs to improve in a month's time.
Paul Green hasn't made the best of starts to his international career but I did signs of potential of a Roy Keane type of player. Green needs to be given time to adapt and I am sure he will because there is something about him that proberly could give him the edge over say Keith Andrews in the central midfield come October.

Armenia 0-1 Republic of Ireland 3rd September 2010

I must say it was a perfect start to the group. By going to our potentially most difficult away game in the group and win is a great start. Ok it was narrow and at times difficult. A more match-aware Robbie Keane may have given us a win by more than the 1-0 but a win is a win.
The Armenians to their credit will be a tough side for anbody especially in the 35 degree heat that was on show in Yerevan on Friday.
Keith Fahey proved a magical substitution by Giovani Trappatoni as he scored the winner with 15 minutes left.
Confidence for Tuesday night against Andorra. On paper we should have three points and a nice victory of four or five but Just by having six points on the board come Wednesday will be job done.
The tests will start next month with Russia and Slovakia which will be interesting to see if we can pick up at least four points.

Champions league group stage up for grabs

Tonight the Champions league group stage is on the minds of ten clubs. All five games are 19:45 kick off and some key clubs are involved.

Sampdoria v Werder Bremen:

I will be watching this game to see if Werder can complete their passage through or Sampdoria will overcome their German opponents. It will be intersting to see if Sampdoria can mount a challenge while Bremen without Ozil could be a different side. Altogether though I see Werder going through but Sampdoria will score which will make this match tight.

Hapoel Tel-Aviv v Salzburg:

A game finally poised at 3-2 to the Israeli champions and with three away goals from last week they are the favorites to advance. Salzburg though are a though nut to crack and who knows maybe they will get the two goals needed to advance themselves. My prediction in this one is Hapoel to go through and 2-1 winners on the night.

Sherriff v Basel:

Sherriff are an interesting side. The Moldovan champions for the past ten years have never really made a big splash in Europe. Tonight they have an opportunity to become the first Moldovan side to make the group stages. Basel are tough to beat. I can see Sherriff winning 2-1 but Basel to go through on away goals.

Anderlecht v Partizan:

Again another finely poised tie. 2-2 from Belgrade last week can we expect another cracker tonight? Anderlecht have home advantage and with that I see them winning tonight to advance but Partizan are a side that won't back down so expect a good open match in this one.

Sevilla v Sporting Braga:

An Iberian derby and with one place to grab this is going to be a massive game for both sides. Sevilla and Sporting Braga are two sides that deserve Champions League football. A 1-0 lead from last week, Braga will be expecting a tough game as Sevilla will go on the chase. Almost impossible to call but I am going for Sevilla to advance and it may well go to extra-time.

The Chaos of a league

Chaos is what the Brazilian Série A was at the turn of last decade. Today we see UEFA officials wanting the top European leagues to cut the number of teams from 20 to 18. Should that happen those leagues (England, Spain and Italy) will have two rounds of matches less, which would in theory make the holidays longer in the summer of no World Cup or Euros.

But in Brazil back in 2001 they didn't beleive in cutting the number of teams. No they wanted more we are talking about 20 odd teams in a league being the maximum number but in 2001 Brazil had a total of 28 teams taking part.

Thankfully the league only had them play each other once which totaled 27 games for everyone and sparred us of a 54 game season in the league for each side. They have cut the number down since with "only" 26 taking part the following year in 2002 and 24 in 2003. 22 took part in 2005 before the current system of 20 was first introduced in 2006.

Could you imagine the Premier League with 28 teams ? sounds funny but with money taking preference these days in football don't rule it out in many years to come.

Fluminense

Fluminense from Rio de Janeiro are having a splendid season in 2010. Top of Série A by four points from Corinthians currently and going well with that man Washington leading the attack.

Washington is the club top scorer in the league this year with 5 goals but the thing with Fluminense is that they may have scored just 23 goals in 14 games but have conceded just 9 with only Ceará conceding less.

Fluminense have been slowly evolving into a title challenging side. In 2008 they lost the Copa Libertadores final to LDU Quito from Ecuador and only just avoided the drop that year. 2009 was also tight and Fluminense avoided the drop by a point.

So far in 2010 already the club are on 32 points and are just 14 from beating last year's total. It may be shocking to think that Fluminense may well have been playing in Série B this year but the fact that they lead the table shows that this side mean business.

My La Liga predictions 2010-11

2010-11 promises to be a fascinating campaign. Both Madrid and Barcelona have spent big and effectively. Only yesterday Madrid announced Mesut Ozil was their new signing having thrown up some impressive performances at the World cup just gone. Ozil joins Carvalho, Pedro León, José Mourinho and Sami Khedira as the new arrivals. But what can we expect from Madrid this year? this time last year with Kaká and Ronaldo we expected Madrid to take some time to gel. The gelled quickly and chased Barca all the way until the final day last season.

And what of the Catalans that are the currently champions for the past two years. Not much different from last season with David Villa heading the arrivals that also include Adriano from Sevilla, who I think is proberly the best bit of business in Spain this summer and the on going Fábregas saga which it is not beyond question that we may see Cesc in Barca colours before the window shuts at the end of the month.

The rest of the league may well forget about the title but a season that could lead to a scramble for the European places may end up with the usual suspects claiming them. Last year both Sevilla and Valencia were touted as possible contenders to stop Madrid and Barca but 3rd placed Valencia were a full 25 points off.

This summer Valencia have been hit hard as the financial problems have caught up. Out are David Villa and David Silva while Ruben Baraja has also departed and in come Roberto Soldado, Aritz Aduriz and Mehmet Topal plus many others from around Europe. The shining light may be Juan Mata who appears to be set to stay and Pablo Hernández, a player I highly regard might well be staying which could help Valencia.

My Top four:

1. Barcelona
2. Real Madrid
3. Sevilla
4. Villarreal

Barcelona for me may well win the league but just as last year it will be tight possibly heading down to the final day again. Real Madrid to finish 2nd but just pipped by Barca. José Mourinho may have a strong squad but Barca have been on top with the same players for the past two years while Adriano and Villa will strengthen the side.

As for the other places. Sevilla get my 3rd place as I feel they will have a good season providing they keep Luís Fabiano and keep Jesús Navas fit.

Villarreal get my 4th place ahead of Valencia because of the problems Valencia have endured this summer. Villarreal have spent wisely this summer but I think Nilmar will have a good season as will Giuseppe Rossi and I think we may well be seeing more of Jefferson Montero this season.

Rest of the top ten

5. Valencia

6. Real Zaragoza

7. Atlético Madrid

8. Deportivo La Coruna

9. Athletic Bilbao

10. Getafe

A season that could surprise many as far as the European places are concerned. Zaragoza I feel are a top six team in Spain but may struggle to get the Europa league place. Atlético it depends on which Atlético we see this year. Do we see a side that implode and miss out on Europe or a side that can make a push for the champions league again.

Deportivo might finish 8th but home form is crucial and getting a good run away. Bilbao have been improving and 9th I think is the best they will achieve this year but don't be surprised if they finished higher.

Getafe may well be fighting for a Europa league place but Pedro León is a key departure as is Roberto Soldado but are a dark Horse.

Mid-Table:

11. Real Mallorca

12. Real Sociedad

13. Sporting de Gijón

14. Espanyol

Mallorca will achieve a could solid 11th I feel but Sociedad and Gijón have strong home support which will help them while Espanyol without Raúl Tamudo will be interesting.

Relegation:

15. Racing Santander

16. Almería

17. Osasuna

18. Málaga

19. Levante

20 Hércules

This is what I have gone for as for relegation but I like to be proved wrong and Hércules have an element of surprise. Levante have been here before but I think not enough to stay up this time while Málaga for all the support could be down this season. Almería, Osasuna and Racing are my other sides here but any of them can go down.

World Cup Group A

After two rounds of games in Group A we are almost sorted as in who is staying on for the last 16 and who is catching the plane home. Well one team will be staying but not playing it Tuesday next doesn't provide the miracle results needed.

South Africa as hosts are under pressure and indeed the pressure showed in their 3-0 defeat against Uruguay on Wednesday night in Pretoria. Uruguay indeed have impressed me as well as others with their spirit and fight. Diego Forlán took his goals well with his first a stunning strike that looped over Itumeleng Khune and his 2nd a nice penalty with Álvaro Pereira bundling over the third when South Africa were finally beaten. Indeed the Uruguayans will feel they should've beaten France but for Nicolás Lodeiro to be sent-off.

Mexico are a side that laboured their way to be here but they are now showing the promise of all Mexican sides down the years with their four points from a possible six so far. France were there for the taking and well Mexico deserved their victory which was helped by a Javier Hernández goal and a nice penalty from veteren Cauthémoc Blanco.

That result leaves France in the position of being sent-home early. Their fate is now out of their hands and need to beat South Africa, who like themselves still have a mathematical chance of reaching the last 16 by five if either Uruguay or Mexico are defeated.

1. Uruguay 4 Points 3-0 +3
2. Mexico 4 Points 3-1 +2
3. France 1 Point 0-2 -2
4. South Africa 1 Point 1-4 -3

The FAI are a bunch of crooks

The FAI. What can I say. The Football association of Ireland, what would we do without them? let me rephrase that, What could we do without them? Well one is not embarress ourselves in front of the world by asking to be a 33rd team at the World cup? another is allowing a first division club with attendences of a few hundread to be allowed to play current Spanish La Liga champions Barcelona at a ground that has just a shed of about fifty seats and grassy hills.
Limerick FC are that club and have been asked to play Barcelona in a pre-season friendly in July-August timeframe. Considering this is Ireland where "football Fans" have more interest in England than their local clubs this fixture would be an absolute sell-out and the game would be played in Thomond Park which would allow for more fans. But the FAI objected saying they clashed with fixtures. But thats the FAI for you. They milk the international fixtures and lets be honest they couldn't give a shite about the league.
I wanted to go to Ireland v Brazil in 2008 and found tickets were going to around €70. Now I might be wrong but wasn't there 79,000 at that game in Croke Park? I know ticket prices vary but that is quiet alot of cash just for one game! Now isn't the FAI in charge of football in the Republic of Ireland? That means giving cash to clubs and prizes and funding projects?
Now just look at the state of the League. 2009 two clubs went bust. It sickens me that you get 79,000 odd to watch a game and lets be honest about it a meaningless game (friendly) and then look around the grounds in Ireland where some clubs would be lucky to get 1,000. These so-called "football fans" are a joke.
FAI a bunch of crooks and lets be honest Delaney is a crook!!

The game that was 6-6

6-6 is like a Rugby game in the early stages but that was the final score in a Scottish Premier League match tonight. Motherwell and Hibernian faced off at Fir Park, so I decided to have a watch over the internet. I personally thought this game was going to be lucky to have one goal.

Well to say I was wrong would be like having a snowball in hell!

I was treated to my expected one goal after 11 minutes when Colin Nish scored but then Motherwell leveled at 1-1 five minutes later and I said to myself this could be a good game but next goal is important.

Four minutes after Motherwell leveled Colin was at it again as he put Hibs back in front for 2-1. It took just over eight minutes for the next goal to arrive and former Celtic man Derek Riordan made it 3-1 to Hibs and I thought that was game set and match at that point but good to see Derek score.

We had a fifth goal eight minutes later and it was Colin Nish again this time completing a fantastic hat-trick to make it a safe 4-1. Almost immediately John Sutton put his chance away for Motherwell to make it 4-2 now and suddenly not so good for Hibs? That was that for the first-half with six goals amazing even if it finished this way!!!

The 2nd half began with a slow build up and it wasn't until eleven minutes into the 2nd half that the next goal flew in and it was Anthony Stokes getting his first and making it 5-2 in process. Surely Motherwell were dead now.

They were certainly not getting anything out of this game when Hibs made it 6-2 eight minutes later when Stokes got his 2nd.

Three minutes later Motherwell got another which bought the game to 6-3 thanks to a strike from Giles Cooke.

Next thing is five minutes later Motherwell were 6-4 behind as Tom Hateley scored. By this time I was absolutely glued to the couch and not believing what I was actually seeing.

Four minutes later unbelievably Motherwell were back in the game as John Sutton got his 2nd goal to make it a staggering 6-5. I laughed as that goal went in the next one I went crazy.

There was no goals for the next fifteen minutes but we witnessed a pulsating game that finished with an amazing strike from Lukas Jutkiewicz in stoppage time. It was 6-6!!!!! I just went made when that goal went in and overall I would say that both sides deserved a draw but Hibs would be kicking themselves after being 6-2 up and letting in four to get a point. But credit the players who really turned on the style for us.

I did say the Scottish league was boring in relation to title races but who needs a title race when this game throws up a 6-6 draw!!!! Amazing

2nd tiers around Europe

2nd tiers around Europe are just as entertaining as the 1st tiers. We start in Spain as promotion is going to the wire.

Spain:

Promotion to La Liga is very tight at the moment as we enter the 34th round of matches. A total of five clubs can get promoted with Real Sociedad clear by five at the top still not far away.

Levante currently occupy 2nd spot going into today's games with Cartagena in 3rd a point behind on 54. Both Real Betis and Hércules Alicante are next with 53 points while Elché are two points further back in 6th.

The season isn't over until June so there is plenty of time for twists and turns but I think Real Sociedad, Levante and Real Betis will do enough but it is hard to predict.

Relegation is equally as tight with the final relegation spot right up to 12th placed Girona being seperated by just six points. A total of 11 sides are scrapping but looking at the table it looks at if Castellón and Real Unión are down. Cádiz are still in the mix but at the moment are three points from safety. Some big sides down there with Real Murcia, Celta Vigo and Cádiz all of which have played La Liga at some point in the last five years. Las Palmas and Rayo Vallecano are down there too which is going to really tighten up the scrap.

Italy:

Today's matches have ended which means round 37 is almost over with the exception of Triestina and Modena who play on Monday.

Promotion is quiet tight with the exception of Lecce, who are six points clear of 2nd placed Sassuolo. Play-offs like used in England are used to decide the 3rd promoted club and the race for these is very tight. With five games left it looks like two of those places are filled but the remaining two looks like going down until round 42. 8th placed Torino still have a chance and Crotone in 9th might feel they have a fighting chance for that final spot. Four sides will be fighting for the last spot while the 3rd spot is also under treat with five games to go. Both Cesena and Grosseto lost today which has opened the race for those two spots.

Relegation has already taken one with Salernitana already down with just 17 points from 37 games. From 21st right up to 13th only seven points separate the sides. Reggina in 13th, only relegation from Serie A last year could go down if they don't secure victories. They are however in good form with no defeats in their last five and need probably four more points in their last five games to be safe.

Modena and Triestina play on Monday which will be vital for everyone involved. A win for Modena will almost secure their status next season but victory for Triestina could drag Modena in the mix. Bottom two go down automatically while the next two enter the play-offs with two sides from Lega Pro.

France:

Caen play on Monday and should they win they will go six points clear of Brest with just four rounds left. Caen are already promoted and Brest just need a point next weekend to join them in Ligue 1 next year but the title is up for grabs. The third promotion spot however is still in the balance between Arles, Clermont Foot, Metz and Angers while there are a clutch of sides behind them catching up.

Relegation is really interesting as some big name clubs are involved but none bigger than Nantes. The canaries were Ligue 1 winners in 2001 but have been in decline since. Strasbourg, Ajaccio and Guingamp are also involved. Bastia from Corsica are three points off safety after a good run has helped them recently. Chateauroux and Istres are currently in the bottom three.

Germany:

Promotion in Germany looks like its decided already. Kaiserslautern, St. Pauli and Augsburg look likely to go up. The first two are up but Augsburg can secure promotion tomorrow should they win and Fortuna Dusseldorf fail to win.

Relegation will be decided tomorrow and a victory for FSV Frankfurt will all but secure Koblenz to 3rd tier football next season. Rot Wiess Ahlen are down already. The bottom two go down while the next side enter a play-off with the 3rd placed 3. Liga side.

Barca win while Cork are double winners

Have Barcelona effectively won the league? Maybe going on last year when they beat Real Madrid they did but this Clásico was a smash and grab for Barcelona. Lionel Messi, who did nothing before he opened the scoring set the tone really. Messi, was checked down by Sergio Ramos before a kick-free to Xavi, who spotted the run of Messi and chipped a delightful pass over the Real defense and Messi was on hand to poke in the opener.

Pedro Rodríguez settled the nerves with a cool finish after half-time after being released by Xavi. Barcelona three points clear but also ahead on head-to-head have the won the title?

Cork enjoyed a double taste of victory over the weekend by beating Longford Town 1-0 on Friday in the 1st division and going through to the next round of the EA Sports cup with a 3-0 win over Wexford Youths on Monday night. Cork are great form having won three games in a row in the league and face either Limerick or Cobh Ramblers in the next round.

El Clásico

El Clásico tonight in what is the biggest game of the season certainly in Spain. Both sides Real Madrid and Barcelona have swept all before them this season and both go into tonight's big game level on points with 77 each.

Kaká is definitely out tonight which is a blow for Real as he is a creative general in attacking midfield but Barcelona are without their big Swede target man Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The game will go a long way in giving us an idea of who will win La Liga this year.

Real Madrid may be at home in this one but I am going for a Barcelona victory tonight. Barcelona have been in exceptional form of late with Lionel Messi scoring left, right, centre and diagonal. He will be a key but the real treat for Barcelona is Xavi. His vision and passing will open Real's defense open.

Real Madrid have the treat of Cristiano Ronaldo who with his tricks and pace can unlock even the best of defenses. Gonzalo Higuaín has a goal touch of late and Marcelo can play when he is up for it. A good game hopefully and who knows what will happen.

Medal of Honor Championship

I and some friends have started a championship on medal of honor rising sun. The format is quiet basic really. After unlocking all characters we have enough for four eight man leagues. This is means we have a Premier division, 1st Division, 2nd division and 3rd division with a couple in a 4th division.

In the Premier the bottom three are relegated. The 1st division sees the top three promoted and the bottom three relegated. The 2nd division has the top three promoted while the bottom two are relegated. The 3rd division has the top 2 promoted and relegation is decided on an average over 3 games.

Me and my friends started in the 2nd division and we all had completely different games. Me and my brother were promoted after finishing in the top two while Adam was relegated to the 3rd division.

The target for me is to be in the premier as soon as possible and looking at the premier at the moment it will be tough. Adam meanwhile has to begin life in the 3rd division with the likes of Rickshaw, Zwick and Tarver while my brother and I are in the 1st division with Takeuchi.

I will be posting some tables soon.

Football Manager some of my achievements

Football Manager... quiet simply the best series ever! My first football manager game was 2007. This was a game that I really really enjoyed.

Some of my achievements in the game are quiet good. The best one though has to be getting Cork City into the champions league group stage only to be knocked-out.

Cork City:

At Cork I first targeted the league. It was out with dead wood and in with some swift but effective signings. The idea was to bring in free agents or free transfers and sell them on for a good profit which would fund the objective of winning the league. I kept hold of John O'Flynn, Dan Murray, Danny Murphy and Joe Gamble and made some good money off the likes of George O'Callaghan and Vinny Sullivan.

My first year we finished a creditable 3rd considering the changes I made. Free players I picked up were sold to other League of Ireland and English clubs and in came around €250k to spend on a winning squad.

I felt my defense needed improvement so I signed Eddie Nolan from Blackburn. Quiet a good signing I must admit. Attempts to bring Stephan Carr in were in vain but more quality players were signed with James Vaughan from Everton the pick of the bunch. I now had a squad capable of matching Shelbourne.

We went on to win the League Cup, Munster Senior Cup and the League. The League was fantastic and we only lost three times all season. Phase one was completed in year 2.

Year 3 was all about the Champions League. Drawn against Siroki Brijeg in the 1st qualifying round I played tight defense and went through on away goals. The next round was against Gorica of Slovenia and though this was close at 1-0 over two games we played well.

The 3rd qualifying round was a big one against IFK Goteborg. A fantastic game and we sneaked through on away goals.

Finally we were there, the champions league group stage in a group with Real Madrid, Fenerbahce and Lyon. A very though group indeed. At the end we somehow picked up 3 points from two draws with Fenerbahce and a draw against Lyon.

Napoli:

Napoli were in Serie B when I took over and I knew that Serie A was where they belonged. I started with a squad that had finished 8th the year before and so the work began. We had a good start by picking up 12 points from a possible 18 in our opening games and as the season went on I found a formation that matched my ambitions. A 3-4-3 formation that worked a treat. We were top of Serie B with three games left and we only needed a point in any of those games to win the league but we lost all three and we pipped by Crotone by a point.

We were promoted to Serie A having finished 2nd but the title was what we deserved. I left the club that summer after I was refused to have money to improve my squad. They eventually finished 10th in Serie A that year.

DR Congo:

Being appointed boss of DR Congo meant a lot. I always felt I could get DR Congo places and so I attempted to achieve that. I set about getting the nation into the african cup of nations firstly and see what happens there. With the firepower of Lomano Lua Lua and the excellent keeping of Yves Ma Kalambay we had a good team. Trésor Mputu was another star in a team rising and rising. We qualified after being drawn in a piss-easy group where we finished with maximum points.

Although exiting at the group stage so cruelly it was certainly a good experience. We were now hard to beat which was half the battle in the Football Manager world. As it turned out after that cruel blow in the 2010 African cup of nations I was surprisingly sacked as boss. I felt it was harsh considering that they proberly wouldn't have qualified had I not changed a few things with the formations.

Uzbekistan:

After the shock of getting sacked by DR Congo, I quickly found new employment this time with Uzbekistan. The challenge was to get Uzbekistan to the 2014 world cup. By now it was Autumn 2010 and I had three years to get Uzbekistan to Brazil 2014. It started well as we went through to the final group phase. This was a tricky part of the journey as we lost our opening two games and needed to win every remaining game to have a chance. We did exactly that and made the continental play-off with New Zealand. We overcame New Zealand and thanks to Djeparov we were going to the World cup. My first World cup finals with a country was surprisingly Uzbekistan. To my amazement we went to the last 16 only going out to Spain 3-1.

I left the position after that as I felt this Uzbek team could do no more with me in charge.

Limerick 1-3 Cork City FORAS 2nd April 2010

Made the trip up to Limerick yesterday and it was mental!!! A great day out as the trip was very much worthwhile as Cork City overcame our opponents Limerick 3-1 at Jackman park.

It was my first time up to Jackman Park and to be honest the place was like a public park. Just one tiny shed with seating was all while the rest of the ground was grass and concrete.

Weather was unsettled at the start with light showers but mid-way through the 1st half we took the lead. Graham Cummins heading in for 1-0 much to the delight of us away fans. We went mental!

2nd half Limerick were a bit more edgy as we looked to more likely to score next. That we did when Graham Cummins headed in his 2nd of the game from a pinpoint cross. That goal sent us into a wild frenzy of jumping up and down and chanting at Limerick and Pat Scully.

Davin O'Neill's volley just minutes after the 2nd goal saw us take a 3-0 lead and that was game set and match.

Much to the surprise of us all Robbie Kelliher pulled one back for Limerick to make it 3-1 but we had shown we are stronger on the day.

Brazil's bounce backers

Releagtion yes but coming back up is another story in Brazil.

In 2007 of the four clubs that went down only Corinthians bounce-back up to Série A. They won Série B by 17 points.

The others well they struggled. Juventude finished higher in 8th with 56 points, Paraná finished 11th with 49 points and América finished 15th with 46 points and nearly got relegated again to Série C. 20 clubs in Série B in 2008.

But the following year in 2009 Juventude were relegated to Série C with América narrowly escaping while Paraná finished 10th.

In 2008 the four clubs that got relegated only Vasco De Gama went up, as champions. Portuguesa and Figueirense both narrowly missed out on promotion while Ipatinga finished 15th just four points from going down further.

The four clubs relegated in 2009? well in recent years history shows that one will bounce back while two will be pushing for promotion and mid-table while one will be involved in a tussle to avoid another relegation. So Coritiba, Náutico, Sport Recifé and Santo André are the ones to watch-out for in 2010.

Relegation in Brazil

Relegation, that absolute sinking feeling after a season of hard-work (depends on the team) and you drop down a level. It's happened to many. Just think of Leeds, Newcastle, Real Betis, Real Zaragoza and so on. But in Brazil relegation is completly different.

2009 saw the Brazilian Série A season end with the traditional four clubs being relegated. No problem there. The sides unfortunate to go down were Sport Recifé, Náutico, Santo André and Coritiba. Ok Náutico and Santo André aren't the biggest sides but Sport Recifé and Coritiba would be considered big clubs. Sport Recifé have a good fanbase in the Northern resort of Recifé.

Ok we will go to 2008. Ipatinga, Portuguesa, Vasco De Gama and Figueirense. Again two clubs not quiet big but two clubs that are quiet big. Vasco De Gama by far the most interesting relegation in 2008. They had big plans but fell down and the fact that Romario was continuing his quest for 1,000 goals the club fell apart. Figueirense big enough but not surprising with relegation.

2007. América, Paraná, Juventude and Corinthians. In this pile we have quiet big clubs suffering relegation. Paraná and Juventude are still to get back into Série A today but Corinthians are very big in Brazil. They went down in 2007 exactly two years after winning the Série A and three years after being taken over by MSI. They are back in Série after running away with Série B in 2008 and have ambitions to win the Copa Libertadores in 2010.

If you go back a few years more you will find that huge clubs such as Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Bahia went down. The first two did get back up but Bahia, such a big club went down as far as Série C and are currently in Série B looking to get back up.

Relegation in Brazil is different to Europe. In Europe you might have a big name club go down every couple of years but in Brazil you are pretty much guaranteed with a big name or two going down. But the thing is clubs that have gone down don't actually have a good record of coming back up. Just ask Bahia.

Boring leagues?

Boring leagues... leagues that have always without fail, year after year produced the same name or names on the titles at the end of the season. We all know what leagues are boring.

Personally I think the Scottish Premier league takes the crown for boringness and absolute predictability about it.

Year after year Rangers, Celtic, Rangers, Rangers then Celtic Celtic Celtic and then Rangers? Come on! Is it any wonder the league was stripped of one of it's champions league spots recently?

Yes i do know that the title races between these two can be exciting (2004-05, 2002-03) but the lack of more teams such as Hibernian and Hearts or even your emerging Motherwell means the top two in Scotland haven't changed since Hearts amazingly stole 2nd in 2005-06. But that was spoiled by Celtic winning by a healthy margin that year.

other boring leagues:

Another boring league in Europe is the Moldovan Diviviza. This league dosen't even feature two teams. Instead Moldovan football has been simply about Sherriff Tiraspol. Yes Sherriff are by far the strongest side in Moldova but the gap between them and the rest is getting bigger and bigger. Problems so for Zimbru, the former leading light in Moldova.

Croatia had a reputation for being boring with Dinamo Zagreb winning title to beat the band by fifteen to twenty points. But since Hajduk Split have got in order they have been making Dinamo work for the title.

Has Spain got a boring league? well with both Real Madrid and Barcelona running away to tussle for the title then yes this year has been boring in terms of number of teams fighting for the title. Certainly having both El Clásico clubs neck and neck is not boring but to spice up competition then yes Spain does lack that.

Serie A maybe with Inter Milan winning the title on offer since calciopoli in 2006. The other big names haven't managed to stop Inter.

Cork City Foras Co-op up and running

From the ashes of Cork City FC, Cork City Foras co-op will be representing Cork in this year's first division in Ireland.

With the fans behind the club this could be the beginning of a long road back to the success of the previous club by winning the League of Ieland.

Tommy Dunne is on board as manager while Greg O'Halloran will be player/assistant manager. It remains to be seen what players will join but the possibility of George O'Callaghan signing will be boost. Of course there will be salary issues which will be nothing compared to the previous club.

Today the club defeated Crosshaven in a pre-season friendly, their last before the new season gets under way on Friday, away to Derry City.

Scotland rightly stripped of Champions League place

Scotland was recently stripped of it's 2nd champions league spot by UEFA. This decision has been met with mixed opinions. Mine of course is that UEFA is right on this one.

Scotland's clubs apart from Celtic and Rangers, have been pretty much not up to speed in recent years. Aberdeen, Motherwell and more recently the likes of Dunfermline (1st division) and Queen of the South (1st division) have been below par when if comes to European competition.

Celtic and Rangers themselves haven't covered themselves in glory either. In 2005 Celtic were embarrassed by Artmedia Bratislava and Rangers were knocked out of the Champions league by FBK Kaunas in 2008 while also exiting this season's champions league thanks to defeats against Sevilla twice and Unirea Urziceni.

Their place has gone to Belgium and in my mind Belgium has been improving. Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Standard Liége all made the last 32 in this years Europa League and over the years clubs are starting to improve having faced decline.

Classic title race that was

La Liga in 2002-03. A very exciting if not most dramatic title race in recent memory. Real Madrid had a new challenger to look out for. This challenger wasn't a club known for it's title challenges but in 2002-03 made a real go for it.

Real Sociedad of course were the side that nearly and in my view should've won the league that season. They took everybody by surprise and not only that but the fact that they kept the race alive until the very last weekend of the season.

2002-03 was a long season for both. of course it did end on June 22nd 2003 which was way too long but that is another entry for another day. Real Madrid went into the penultimate game of the season away to city rivals Atlético Madrid while the Basques of Real Sociedad had Celta Vigo to deal with. Two very difficult games I must say. Celta Vigo had a great season finishing 4th ahead of Valencia and Barcelona.

Real Madrid had a Ronaldo hat-trick to thank for as they ended up 4-0 winners which meant they went top. Sociedad meanwhile slumped to a 3-2 defeat to Celta Vigo. This meant Real Madrid finally had Sociedad in their hands.

The final day of the season saw Real Madrid wrap up the title race while Sociedad, having spent the whole season building for this final month had to make do with 2nd. What I loved about this season was that Real Sociedad had shown that it is possible to catch Real Madrid. They certainly put up a better fight than Valencia and Barcelona in this season.

What happened next? Well Real Madrid went on to lead La Liga the following year until a massive drop in form ended their 2003-04 title hopes while Sociedad were fortunate to save themselves from relegation in 2003-04.

Real Sociedad though were relegated five years after finishing 2nd and have since failed to gain promotion although this season (2009-10) they are looking good for a return to La Liga and maybe they will challenge again.!