Nick Webster: Who's making the Premiership's midterm grade?

Only a fool would try and predict the FA Cup where shocks are the norm.

So after a stunning holiday period where I went 15 from 20 in the old prediction business, I'll take a break from the crystal ball this week. Instead I'll hand out my midterm grades.

The 'Big Four' has become the 'Big Five or is it the Big Six' while the bottom 10 are locked in some sort of mortal death coil. All in all it's been a fantastic 2008 for the Premiership with an epic title race to end things last May.

Here's hoping we get the same kind of finish this time around.

The Mill + ++

Friday's Rumours



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Jeff Carlisle: U.S. national team faces a critical year in 2009

Looking at the key story lines that will pop up in 2009 for the U.S. men's national team, I feel like I'm looking at one of those Babushka dolls -- you know, the ones that are nested inside one another. Certainly in the case of the national team, qualifying for the next World Cup in South Africa is the only thing that matters. But getting there will require several key items to fall into place, and as each of these issues are teased apart, I find there are subplots within subplots, each of which could determine the Americans' degree of success in the coming year.

Liverpool champions and Beckham to face his greatest challenge — how 2009 might unfold

Kevin McCarra:
It may be goodbye to Luiz Felipe Scolari and David Beckham for English fans this year

Spain Roundup: Real near full strength for Villarreal game + Table

Brief news from the Primera Liga ahead of this weekend’s matches

Previews

La Liga Table Friday 2nd January 2009
		Played	GD	PTS
1	Barcelona	16	38	41
2	Sevilla	16	9	31
3	Atlético Madrid	16	15	30
4	Valencia	16	10	30
5	Real Madrid	16	8	29
6	Villarreal CF	16	6	29
7	Deportivo La Coruña	16	2	27
8	Real Valladolid	16	1	23
9	Málaga CF	16	-2	22
10	Getafe CF	16	-2	21
11	Sporting Gijón	16	-11	21
12	Athletic Bilbao	16	-4	19
13	Real Betis	16	-1	18
14	Racing Santander	16	-4	18
15	Numancia	16	-12	17
16	UD Almería	16	-9	16
17	RCD Mallorca	16	-12	14
18	RCD Espanyol	16	-11	13
19	Recreativo Huelva	16	-15	13
20	Osasuna	16	-6	12

England: FA Cup Third Round Previews + Lawro's Predictions

Steven Gerrard's top-quality performances have pushed Liverpool within sight of a first English league title since 1990. However, now that his star player faces criminal charges stemming from a brawl at a nightclub, manager Rafa Benitez has to decide whether to take the heat off the Reds captain by leaving him out of Saturday's FA Cup game at Preston.


Lawro's Predictions


Ties to watch and potential shocks

Spanish Debate: Freebies XI - The Best Out-Of-Contract Stars In La Liga

Ewan Macdonald trawls through the list of the 79 players in the Primera who are out of contract this summer in order to pick the best eleven...


Sylvinho (Barcelona): Another evergreen, Sylvinho remains fit as his own career draws to a close. What he brings to the side is dependability: Barcelona still call on him from time to time to fill in for Eric Abidal and he seldom disappoints. If he could carve out an understanding with his countryman Edu (see below) then the left flank could well prove the highlight of this team.

The Rest

Calcio Debate: Who Is The Best Youngster In Italy?

Serie A is blessed with a whole host of explosive youngsters, but who is the best of them all? Carlo Garganese offers 15 nominations...

Norman Hubbard: Worst players of the season... so far

Manchester City:
Micah Richards
It could have been Jo, the ever-dismal striker, but there is a sizeable group of below-par performers at the City of Manchester Stadium this season. The surprise is that Richard Dunne and Micah Richards, two men who were bywords for consistency, are among them. They account for an abnormally high total in the goals against column. Richards has been shunted out to the flanks at times and shown himself to be an unconvincing left-back. Two recent examples of slack marking have resulted in the loss of two points in as many weeks; both Tim Cahill and Roman Bednar headed winners when Richards was supposed to be shadowing them.
The Rest

Norman Hubbard: Players of the season...so far

Everton: Phil Jagielka
When, without looking, Phil Jagielka slid a back pass into the path of Ashley Young for the Aston Villa winger to score, there was considerable surprise. Quietly and unostentatiously, Jagielka had established himself as Everton's definition of consistency. When Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott endured an early-season loss of form, Jagielka maintained his levels of performance. It is hard to question Fabio Capello's decisions, but Jagielka can consider himself unfortunate not to be in the squad that beat Germany.
The Rest

Norman Hubbard: January to prove decisive at the bottom

January has long held a significance in the football calendar. Whereas once it was focused on the third round of the FA Cup and its attendant clichés as butcher, baker and candlestick maker planned for Wembley, now the major talking point is the transfer window. Perhaps it is a product of the times when football and finances appear inseparable, but January is deemed a decisive month.

Player sets unwanted record with three-second dismissal

Also in 2000 an English amateur player, Lee Todd, was sent off after two seconds when he responded to the referee’s whistle to start the game by saying “xxxx me, that was loud” and was dismissed for foul and abusive language.

Martin Rogers' Column

Spain’s glorious triumph at Euro 2008 was one of the stories of the year, and the manner of victory played its part in the makeup of Yahoo! Sports’ Best XI from the last 12 months.




Recently acquired by Giggs, Ronaldo and van der Sar...

Videira Signs with Revolution

An attacking midfielder and a product of Milford, Mass., Videira played his college soccer at Duke, where he was a three-time semifinalist for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy (2005, 2006, 2007) and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) third-team All-America selection in both 2006 and 2007.

Italy: All Time Best 11 From Milan, Inter, Roma and Juventus

AC Milan

Internazionale Milan

AS Roma

Juventus

Liverpool's Premier League title chances: 2008/09 v 1989/90 player-by-player

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard yesterday hailed the current squad as "the best" during his time at the club. Here, Telegraph Sport's Jeremy Wilson assesses this season's table-topping team with the last Liverpool side to win the league title back in 1989/90.

Americans in the UK: Cottage Savior

DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu, Rangers
vs. Celtic (Both DNP)

Neither American was involved in the Old Firm clash on Saturday as Celtic won a close battle 1-0. Both Beasley and Edu have had a hard time earning playing time this season. Edu is getting some quality reps with the Reserves, but Beasley's time has lessened this season. Maybe 2009 will bring more opportunities for the crafty winger.

The Rest

The Mill +

Tuesday's Rumours



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Paul Jewell's year from Hell: Sex, slumps and Robbie Savage

The Damned United, a film about Brian Clough's 44-day disaster at Leeds United, will be released next year. An adaptation of David Peace's brilliant novel, it's billed as the inside story of the most catastrophic managerial reign in English football history.

And that's exactly what it was. Until Paul Jewell took over at Derby County.

Special - Stars Behind Bars

In light of the recent revelations over Steven Gerrard's alleged involvement in an early morning assault, Goal.com glances through the police files of other fallen idols.

EPL Report: Manchester United 1 - 0 Middlesbrough

He is the type of player who would rather miss the bus than be seen breaking into a sprint, but, as a sense of urgency grew around Old Trafford last night, it was the languid figure of Dimitar Berbatov who ensured that Manchester United did not fall further behind schedule in their hunt for a third successive Premier League title.

Dimitar Berbatov keeps Manchester United in Premier League hunt.

Gerrard Charged With Assault

One report suggested Gerrard and a group of his friends were involved in an altercation after the man refused to allow them to choose the songs played on the venue's sound system. Gerrard is a big fan of Phil Collins and counts the singer's greatest hits as his favourite album. He is also partial to Coldplay.



Oh, dear...

EPL Preview: Manchester United – Middlesbrough

What: Barclays Premier League, Matchday 20
Who: Manchester United (3rd, 35 pts/51 pts) vs. Middlesbrough (17th, 20 pts/57 pts)
When: Monday 29th December, 20:00 GMT
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
Preview

Jewell quits as Derby manager

The Derby County manager, Paul Jewell, has resigned from his position with immediate effect, with the club's chairman, Adam Pearson, claiming the role had "taken its toll" on the 44-year-old.

Tim Vickery in Latin America

Almost a decade and a half after his European adventure began, Ronaldo is back in his homeland and preparing for the new season with Corinthians.

Some see this as a sign of the growing strength of Brazilian domestic football, but I'm not so sure. To me it seems more like a sign of its weakness.

The Mill + ++

Monday's Rumours


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EPL Review and Table

Wins for Reds, Gunners, Baggies, Hammers, Latics and Toffees

REVIEW




Deuce's Deuce holds Chelsea...

Nº	Team	GP	W	D	L	Pts
1.	Liverpool	20	13	6	1	45
2.	Chelsea	20	12	6	2	42
3.	Manchester Utd	17	10	5	2	35
4.	Arsenal	20	10	5	5	35
5.	Aston Villa	19	10	5	4	35
6.	Everton	20	9	5	6	32
7.	Wigan	19	8	4	7	28
8.	Hull City	19	7	6	6	27
9.	Fulham	19	6	8	5	26
10.	West Ham	20	7	4	9	25
11.	Bolton	20	7	2	11	23
12.	Portsmouth	20	6	5	9	23
13.	Manchester City	20	6	4	10	22
14.	Newcastle	20	5	7	8	22
15.	Sunderland	20	6	4	10	22
16.	Tottenham	20	5	5	10	20
17.	Middlesbrough	19	5	5	9	20
18.	Stoke City	20	5	5	10	20
19.	Blackburn	20	4	6	10	18
20.	WBA	20	5	3	12	18

Liverpool skipper Gerrard held after 'bar brawl'

The Liverpool captain was arrested along with five other people in the early hours of this morning after an alleged altercation at a licensed premises on Bold Street, Southport. Gerrard has spent the night at a police station and is still being questioned about the incident this morning.

Ives: Subotic shuns U.S. colors for Serbia

Another one got away.

That's the general consensus among American soccer fans who were faced with the disappointing news that highly regarded defender Neven Subotic of the German Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund had chosen to play for Serbia rather than the U.S. national team. Subotic's decision ended a lengthy saga that saw him transform from Bosnian immigrant to U.S. youth national team player to European prospect to full-blown European star.

Richard Jolly at St. James' Park

Newcastle 1 - 5 Liverpool
Liverpool inspired by peerless Gerrard

The Insider at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal 1 - 0 Portsmouth
Below-par Gunners paper over cracks