Coaching For The Brave

After a superb summer of sport with distractions galore, it's time to turn our mind to the "real deal" Yep the Premier League explodes back on the scene this weekend and as ever, we have a mouth watering season ahead of us. Here's why we'll all be glued to the action over the coming months. 1. Let's start with last season. Don't tell us you've forgotten what a fantastic day the final games gave us. Survival for some, despair for others. Glory for City after years of struggle and heartbreak for United. Anything that can produce that level of drama and excitement will do for us! 2. Eden Hazard should light up the Premier League. Not all imports come good in our league but he has genuine class and Zidane rates him highly. Pre-season hasn't been great for him but if he gets his head right he will be one to watch. 3. We have always thought that Brendan Rodgers is a bit of a genius and last season showed what he can do with a footba...

Every season throws up some interesting statistics so here's this seasons. If you have any other's, feel free to contribute. Liverpool's Stewart Downing had 72 shots without scoring (more than any other player) and created 55 chances without supplying an assist (more than any other player) in the Premier League. He also hit the woodwork five times. Great buy! Liverpool were the only team to convert fewer than 10% of their shots into goals this season. If all shots were goals, Liverpool would have finished third, behind Chelsea and Manchester City. Sacked Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas had a higher win percentage in league games (48.2%) than Roberto di Matteo (45.5%). Tottenham's Jermain Defoe became the first player in Premier League history to reach 20 (career) goals as a substitute. We hope England take him. Aston Villa recorded their fewest wins in a top-flight season since 1890/91 (seven), when there were only 12 teams in the division. Villa were ...

Mancini with his reward This is why we love Football and this is why we love the English Premiership! Manchester City have been crowned champions of England after an unbelievable afternoon of high drama. Back in August 2011 many pundits backed the title race to be a contest between United and City but no one could have imagined how close that contest would have been.  For years the Premiership has been labelled as predictable and  boring and when fans look back at 2012 they'll just see the headline: League Champions Manchester City but the days events, the twists and turns and the knife edge outcome should not be forgotten.  Anyone who tuned into the TV or radio broadcasts will have sat riveted as Football gave us the very best it has to offer. At the start of the day most opinions were clear cut. QPR were woeful away from home and City awesome at the Etihad Stadium. A home win was assured. So with that result sorted we also knew were the league wa...

After a packed, hectic weekend of football we now look closer to having to place a new chair at the Top Table. Manchester United's noisy neighbours are one game away from crashing the party. Worryingly, they also have the means to stay there for years.  City looked to have blown the title race a month ago but after United's very own wobble the Blues have taken charge and could seal a famous victory over their local rivals on Sunday. City fans will revel in their victory and rightly so. Fans elsewhere will bemoan the unfairness that money brings to the game.  Michel Platini will use the win as vindication of his quest to "level the playing field"  Something he never cared about when he played for the most successful and wealthiest clubs on the continent.  This is a modern, regular gripe that raises it's head at times like this. The argument goes something like this: "Out of touch Sugar Daddy, usually foreign, invests heavily in team that i...