Off The Post

This is why football on an American football field just doesn’t work

Daniel Storey — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:59:34 +0000

Oh dear, not too impressive refereeing. The game in question takes place in Germany on a dual-purpose sports pitch that also hosts American football. The match was an Oberliga game between Altona 93 and Vier-Und-Marschlande, and the incident took place a striker from the away team hit a shot that sailed over the crossbar, hit [...]

OTP Rebounds: Lionel Messi’s defining moment, Rio’s new Man Utd contract and Arsenal boss’ eagle lookalikes

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:05:28 +0000

Playing tiki-taka with the interwebs Lionel Messi talks about his defining moment: being given Barcelona’s number 10 shirt [YouTube] Rio Ferdinand signs a new one-year deal at Manchester United [Man Utd] Titus Bramble set to leave Sunderland. Shocking that Paolo Di Canio doesn’t want to keep him [BBC] Tony Pulis writes in the local newspaper [...]

El Hadji Diouf gets beaten up in Senegal

Daniel Storey — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:38:29 +0000

Karma eh, what a b*tch. It has been revealed that Leeds United’s El Hadji Diouf has been beaten up by men in Senegal after a drunken argument in a bar. The forward is reported to have been abusing other drinkers at the bar when a few finally lost patience and punched Diouf several times when [...]

Manchester United’s Jonny Evans escapes punishment despite punch against West Brom

Daniel Storey — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:52:57 +0000

Bear with me, because I have a plan. With all this pressure on footballers to perform, behave and act as role models to a society already broken by a desperation for fame and an addiction to addiction, it seems that it is all getting a bit much for them. The only viable solution would be [...]

Juan Mata says Jose Mourinho is welcome at Chelsea

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:19:39 +0000

Chelsea star Juan Mata says Jose Mourinho would be welcome at the club because he is one of the best managers. Mourinho will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and is widely expected to return to Stamford Bridge. Mata said: “Well, obviously Jose is one of the best. He won everything in [...]

Spurs and Arsenal target Christian Benteke ‘won’t necessarily accept’ being forced to stay at Aston Villa

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:13:43 +0000

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke says he “won’t necessarily accept” being told he has to stay at the club. The Belgium international was Villa’s star man this season. Without his goals, Paul Lambert’s side would probably have been relegated. While that has made him a hero at Villa Park, Benteke says he would have no [...]

Video: Manchester United Legends to face Real Madrid Legends

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:56:29 +0000

Want to briefly regain your childhood? If you’re about my age and answered ‘yes’, this is probably the match for you. Manchester United Legends are taking on Real Madrid Legends in a charity match for the MU Foundation. The teamsheets read like a who’s who of mid-1990s sticker albums. Dwight Yorke, Andrew Cole, Denis Irwin, [...]

Montpellier slap €100m price tag on Arsenal target Remy Cabella

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:01:11 +0000

Arsenal appear to have been priced out of a move for Montpellier playmaker Remy Cabella after the French side announced a €100m (£85.4m) asking price. The 23-year-old was reported to be high on Arsene Wenger’s wanted list for the summer transfer window, but Montpellier are not prepared to sell on the cheap (or even at [...]

Who Are Ya? Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham)

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:53:40 +0000

Your whistle-stop guide to the latest Premier League arrivals Name: Fernando Amorebieta Age: 28 Position: Centre-back Signed from: Athletic Bilbao Fee: Free Did you know? During Athletic’s successful 2009–10 season, Amorebieta picked up an impressive 18 yellow cards and two red cards. What’s the deal? The Venezuela international has been on Athletic’s books since he [...]

Gianfranco Zola says Mourinho’s Chelsea return ‘should be good’

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:27:30 +0000

Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola says former manager Jose Mourinho’s expected return to the club ‘should be good’. Asked about the Special One’s imminent return to Stamford Bridge, he said: “Well, it looks like it. He’s certainly a great manager, he knows the players, he knows the atmosphere, so… it should be good.” The Watford boss [...]

Joe Hart: ‘Man City need to improve massively next season’

Rob Parker — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:20:42 +0000

Joe Hart says Manchester City need to ‘improve massively’ next season after failing to achieve their goals in this campaign. Speaking during the club’s post-season trip to the USA, Hart said visiting New York – where City announced their involvement in new MLS franchise New York City FC – was indicative that the club was [...]

Video: Meet Liverpool’s new goalkeeper… Luis Suarez

Rob Parker — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:20:55 +0000

We all know Luis Suarez has a fondness for handling the ball, but that’s no usually because he’s the goalkeeper. In a twist on the old adage that strikers are the first line of defence, the Liverpool star positioned himself in front of Reds keeper Brad Jones and proceeded to do his job for him. [...]

Video: Chelsea defender David Luiz’s crazy driving

Rob Parker — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:17:14 +0000

Footballers’ contracts usually have a long list telling them things they aren’t allowed to do. We would have thought driving a cart round like this with two team-mates on board is one of the items on that list. Chelsea star David Luiz did a bit of off-roading at the club’s Cobham training ground this week, [...]

GIF It: Chelsea striker Fernando Torres’ son equally hesitant in front of goal

Rob Parker — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:53:49 +0000

Like father, like son. This looks uncannily like the Fernando Torres we’ve witnessed for much of his time at Chelsea. It’s actually his son Leo, who is one-on-one with Damian Cech, the pint-sized keeper son of Petr. Let’s see how he gets on… Just like dad, he looks confident striding towards goal but seems unsure [...]

Kitman: Manchester City unveil new home kit

Rob Parker — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:42:40 +0000

Manchester City have unveiled their new home kit for next season during their post-season trip to New York. As well as announcing their involvement in a new MLS franchise, the club has attempted to maximise exposure for their US visit by also launching the new kit. The kit is City’s first to be manufactured by [...]