My fellow blogger Frank Heaven and I are often prone to debate the merits of players labelled “ball playing centre halves”. It’s a term pregnant with meaning- and a slight damning with feint praise is never far from the equation. For just as Glen Johnson’s attacking attributes from full back are often highlighted only to stress his defensive inadequacies, centre backs who can “play a bit” are usually sniffed at for similar reasons.Rio Ferdinand, despite all the accolades and a position in the MVP XI of the World Cup in 2002, has never quite attracted plaudits in the same way…
All posts tagged Carlisle
The Thursday Preview: Carlisle United Vs Tipton Town
Hillside views above industrial towns are a staple of Football Focus on an FA Cup Match Day, with Hovis music thrown into the mix and images shown of flat capped oldsters swinging rattles for all they are worth in crowds of 80,000. Ronny Radford will fire in that goal again as parkas swamp the pitch, minnows will feature cobblers and tinkers amidst their ranks and the manager will always be mowing the turf and manning the ticket booth and booking diners in at the Happy Eater next door.Ridley Scott famously directed that bread advert in the decidedly non-footballing climes of…
TTU 2010/11 Season Preview: League 1 (Part One)
And so our preview of the Football League rolls on. League 1 is in the spotlight today, as 24 fans from across the length and breadth of the country cast light on their clubs’ preparations for the new term.AFC BournemouthHeadline of the SummerManager Eddie Howe signing a new contract.Ins/OutsINRhoys Wiggins (Norwich)Harry Arter (Woking)Marc Pugh (Hereford)Michael Symes (Accrington)Steve Lovell (Partick Thistle)Stephen Purches (Leyton Orient)Mitchell Nelson (Tooting & Mitcham)OUTJeff Goulding (Cheltenham)Alan Connell (Grimsby)Scott GuyettSammy Igoe (Havant and Waterlooville)Any major worries?Having seen our kids turned over 4-0 by Tooting & Mitcham recently, I’d say there’s a worry that there aren’t enough bright prospects…
The Monday Profile: Ľubomír Michalík
From hereon in for a few weeks, the Monday Profile will be casting its eye over performers and, given that some 28s and 29s are yet to be whittled down, likely performers in the coming Azanian bunfight. The English speaking squads of the US, New Zealand and Australia constitute the most likely places of refuge for Championship personnel, but others will be dotted about the veld and having faced up to the grim fact that Leeds United are unfortunately back among us, we turn our attentions to towering Slovak centre back Ľubomír Michalík.He may not start, and he is on…
Frank Heaven: I had no idea Telford was so big. As you say, it is close to the West ...
Lanterne Rouge: I didn't know these nuggets - cheers for enlightening us Alexandriang...
alexandriang: Another factor is probably that both the TItans and Panthers played th...
P Squires: Interesting read, but '...which by train is comfortably further from L...
Lloyd: An enjoyable, snappy piece of writing Will.
Going through Worcester...
