Sponsored by Joe Kinnear Open the fifth window Sky Sports does snowman football Click to continue reading...

Sponsored by Joe Kinnear Open the first window Werder Bremen Santa Clauses Click to continue reading...

You may not want to hear it, but it's the time of the year when stores are frantically getting ready for the holiday shopping season. The Christmas displays in shop windows seem to appear earlier and earlier each year. Football is not immune to this, of course. The sport generates a tremendous amount of revenue for [. Click to continue reading...

It was a good win for Celtic over the weekend against Kilmarnock, but it didn't come without some controversy. They were comfortably leading 2-0 in the 80th minute when Shunsuke Nakamura was tackled from behind by what looked to be the ghost of Christmas past, resulting in a penalty. Frazer Wright, the guilty party (up [. Click to continue reading...

It looks like Arsenal could be given a timely boost for their season come Christmas, in the shape of Croatia striker Eduardo, who has set himself a loose target of a Chrimbo-time return to the Premier League fold. The Scotsman reports that the Croatian fox - ruthlessly nobbled after a nasty ... Click to continue reading...

The day is getting nearer when this top-class striker can finally pull on his Arsenal shirt and thrill the punters! Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager! Arsenal striker Eduardo hopes to give boss Arsene Wenger an early Christmas present by returning to action in December. The Croatia international has not . Click to continue reading...

...if you woke up Christmas morning, got a sack of coal, and were happy with it.

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Anyone who has ever seen Ben Affleck and J-Lo's classically pitiful cinematic plutonium bomb, Gigli, knows that its one of the worst movies ever painfully recorded on film. It's so bad, it makes Affleck's horrible holiday follow up, Surviving Christmas, look like It's a Wonderful Life. Gigli is the punch line for many, many jokes. Click to continue reading...

Arsene Wenger admits he is 'amazed' by how quickly striker Eduardo is recovering from injury and insists he is 'ahead of schedule.' The Arsenal boss had originally predicted that the Croatia international could be back in action by Christmas, but according to his latest comments, that date could be brought forward considerably. Click to continue reading...

Sure, the U.S. MNT doesn't play Cuba until September 6, but like a kid a week from Christmas, I just can't help speculating as to what Santa (er, Skeletor, er, I mean Skipper Bob Bradley) will deliver to me in the starting lineup. He's checking his list (some say, twice) and soon we'll find out who has [. Click to continue reading...

It's probably true to say that Jose Mourinho and Andriy Shevchenko aren't on each other's Christmas card lists. While the current Inter boss can claim all he likes that he didn't have a single problem with the striker when the pair were at Stamford Bridge, the signs indicated that there ... Click to continue reading...

After reading Guillem Balague's article about Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez being on the verge of quitting, I must admit, it doesn't surprise me. Benitez has been linked with an exit from Anfield before, when the American owners approached Jurgen Klinsman about taking over the hot seat at the club.

Benitez has had several fallen outs with the owners, due to their reluctance to cough up the cash for new signings, most notably Gareth Barry. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool (Last season - 4th) We are at that time of year again. Like Christmas it is an annual event. Towards the end of summer, when the days get shorter and the leaves begin to fall from the trees, Liverpool fans survey the goings-on at Anfield during the close season, assess the transfers, beat their chests defiantly and proclaim the words, 'this is our year! Click to continue reading...

And so ends a series of days that I want to forget.  In the final analysis only two full-time members of staff lost their jobs, all contractors (a dozen maybe) lost theirs, and there will be no recruitment for some time.  There will be no bonuses this christmas, no pay rises, and a good atmosphere [. Click to continue reading...

Roy Keane's future not in doubt as Sunderland step up search for a new forward

Roy Keane may be in the last year of his contract to manage Sunderland but unlike many players in a similar position, the Irishman is unlikely to leave the club at the end of next season.

Yesterday, Niall Quinn, the Sunderland chairman, gave many of the club's supporters a shock when he stated that Keane will not be signing a new contract before going on to placate them with a suitably relaxed explanation. Click to continue reading...

After six years at Tottenham, Robbie Keane has completed his transfer to Liverpool, the club he supported as a youngster. It is a great move for Keane who will play Champions League football and should be a great move for Liverpool who have bought an experienced and proven striker. The fee of nineteen million pounds is high but in the light of other recent moves, would seem to be about right. Click to continue reading...

European clubs confirmed their opposition to Sepp Blatter's Quota Plans earlier this month, a hardly surprising result since had they supported them, it would have been the footballing equivalent of Turkey's voting for Christmas. Does this mean that the ideas are without merit or is it simply a case of the vested interests of the [. Click to continue reading...

Finding stuff for a blog like this is a little like shopping at garage sales. Occasionally you strike gold, like a mint-condition "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" book, aka a photo of Ronaldinho getting in shape for the Olympics. Or sometimes you find total garbage that you would never take home, like the toilet [. Click to continue reading...

By JAMES CLARKOh, baby! It's nearly here -- as the famed holiday carol said, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." No, not Christmas; the start of the Premier League season! Festivities kick off Aug. 16, and you fantasy veterans know how much fun this competition can be. New to it all? Then log on to www. Click to continue reading...

Previously on "What I Want For Christmas (In July)" . . . So what's all this Christmas nonsense about anyway, and does anybody remember December? . . . Let's figure out what, if anything, needs to be fixed at the back . . . So now I'm back from my holiday journeys and safely ensconced in Fullback HQ, and the time approaches when we have to deal with the business end of the United roster--namely Click to continue reading...

Manager Rafael Benitez claims that winning the Premier League title with Liverpool would be the biggest achievement of his career.

Benitez, who won the Spanish League title twice with Valencia, says the spending power of their rivals makes it difficult but feels his side can improve on last season's fourth place finish. Click to continue reading...

In a match that had everything, Germany won their place in the Euro 2008 final on Sunday, beating Turkey 3-2 with a last minute goal from Phillip Lahm after being 1-0 down, 2-1 up and pulled back to 2-2 with a few minutes to go.
Bang goes my sweepstake entry - cos I had Turkey. Click to continue reading...

In international tournaments such as Euro 2008, tactical formations are overrated. Just because a team that plays a 4-3-2-1 formation beats a country playing 4-4-2, that doesn't mean that a Christmas Tree lineup is better. At the end of the day, so much of football comes down to chance. When you think about the 16 teams [. Click to continue reading...

Greetings to you and your's this holiday season. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that Santa was good to you as well. Time to get back to work here with just a few little tid-bits today to discuss as we get geared up for the winter transfer window that is set to open [...] Click to continue reading...

Thank you for your support this year! I hope you and your's have a very Merry Christmas!! Check back here tomorrow for news from around the MLS. But until then enjoy your time with your family and enjoy those nifty-gifties that Santa put under your tree! And for those who enjoy the Office as much as I [. Click to continue reading...

­I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holidays! I hope you and yours are enjoying time with friends and family during this holiday season. Thanks to all who take the time to visit On The Pitch and read whatever I happen to come up with! Here's hoping that 2008 is even better than 2007! [...] SHARETHIS. Click to continue reading...

I got let off early today. Not only did it put me in a good mood, but it also gave me time to search for and post this video I saw yesterday. If you're not feeling the Xmas spirit yet, then cop a load of this from Tallahassee, Florida.
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Ho ho ho! The Christmas season is upon us and as far as the Premiership goes, this is probably the most exciting time of the season for fans and the most defining time of the season for teams with the packed schedule that this time of the year brings.

The current situation at the top of the table is not one that is unexpected; although the order in which the teams in 1st-4th place may not be the same as many pundits, myself included, predicted it would be at the end of the year, the teams themselves were in most people's Top 4 at the start of the season. Click to continue reading...

You'd think one of my most popular posts would be some genius nugget about coaching, some funny story, a story where I might have typed 'hot soccer moms', stuff like that. Nope. It's was 'Christmas Gifts for Soccer Fans'. So with ­Black Friday just around the corner, I figured I'd come up with an updated list [. Click to continue reading...