AS the sun sets on the noughties, it sets on a decade in which Lyon dominated French football. 2009 however, marked a turning point, as south-west giants Bordeaux, knocked Lyon off their mighty throne to secure the 2008/09 Ligue 1 title.
2009 resumed after the winter break with a number of teams scrambling for top spot. Leading the table was Lyon, aiming to win an eighth successive Ligue 1 championship. An over-performing Rennes along with Marseilles and Bordeaux made up the chasing pack, all within touching distance of top place.
At the …

Following Monday’s Profile of Bolton Wanderers’ Ivan Klasnic, Wednesday’s Premiership Player Profile returns with Arsenal’s skipper, Cesc Fabregas.
Cesc Fabregas has quickly established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. The skipper of Premiership club Arsenal first came into the frame as a 16 year old in the Carling Cup match against Rotherham in 2003. This would signal the start of a glittering career for the young Spaniard, as he went from strength to strength and continued to impress in more Carling Cup outings and eventually, the Premier …

After last years sensational managerial departures in the month of December, eight managerial changes to be precise, you probably thought that this season wouldn’t get any worse than the last one. However it isn’t quite yet but there is still another day to go in the month of December, for last year’s tally of eight to be matched by the end of tomorrow night. All these sackings probably seem unfair at this time of the year; however it does go to show how these chairmen mean business in the busy December period.
Megson Sacked
After yesterday’s events …

It’s the return of the Premier League Player Profiles today, as this is the ninth feature that I and fellow blogger 5stars have done over the past few months. Basically we are one blog away from completing half of the Premier League teams in the league, so here is a recap of the teams and the players we have already focused on. David Dunn(Blackburn), Darren Fletcher(Man Utd), Clint Dempsey(Fulham), John Carew(Aston Villa), Paul Scharner(Wigan), Jack Rodwell(Everton), Shay Given(Man City), Petr Cech(Chelsea) and now Ivan Klasnic(Bolton). Please enjoy the second half of our features, …

2009 in Scottish Football was like a roller coaster ride at Alton Towers. From the disappointment and embarrassment of the Scottish Clubs in European Competition to the climax of another final day league battle between Rangers and Celtic plus the relegation climax which saw Inverness lose their SPL status.

January began on a sombre note for the fans of St Mirren who played their final match at Love Street  in front of a packed house of 10,189 before moving to the new St Mirren Park. Celtic headed north for Aberdeen on …

The goalkeeper special profile week saw Shay Given on Monday and today sees Chelsea’s shotstopper Petr Cech. With Christmas fast approaching, gavh and myself will be taking a break next week and will resume the Monday beginning 28th December.
Petr Cech is a Czech Republic International who signed for Chelsea from French team Rennes in 2004 during Claudio Ranieri’s reign as manager.
Since then, Cech has quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with his superb shot-stopping being one of his top areas in the game.
Into his …

This week is a goalkeeper special week, where I and fellow blogger 5stars features two of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. Next week we will both be taking a break from the Profiles as Christmas emerges. Please enjoy this feature on Shay Given…
Throughout his Premier League career Shay Given has grown in stature, from a legend of Newcastle United where he made over 350 appearances for the Magpies, to probably the best Manchester City signing in recent years. Given has always been one of my favourite goalkeepers in the Premier League, and one of the best all …

Ever since John Still returned to Dagenham and Redbridge in 2004 for his second management spell, the club has become somewhat of a conveyor belt of young talented players who are eventually poached by larger teams. In 2007, Craig Mackail Smith and Shane Blackett were sold to Peterborough due to the side’s unexpected charge to the top of the Nationwide Conference.
After a tricky first season in League Two, the 2008/09 campaign saw the Daggers launch another surprising promotion bid. This time the club failed to move up to League One and paid the …

HE’S a World Cup winner, European Championship victor and boasts a series of Premier League and Serie A winner’s medals. Now Patrick Vieira, aged 33, finds himself feeling the cold shoulder of football after being shunned by both club and country over recent months.
Former mentor Arsène Wenger has urged Vieira to leave the Nerazzurri to find first team football. Vieira has made no secret of the fact that he wishes to represent France at next summer’s World Cup and Wenger gave a blunt statement regarding the situation of his former …

The 2009/2010 Championship campaign has been a struggle for West Brom midfielder Robert Koren. Since Roberto Di Matteo arrived from League 1 outfit Milton Keynes Dons, Koren has slipped out of the starting eleven as the likes of Youssuf Mulumbu, Gonzalo Jara and Graham Dorrans have all cemented their place in the West Brom starting line up.
Since falling out of favour Koren has attracted interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League. Fulham and Birmingham have both been linked with Robert Koren; however places in both of them …