Sorry - No Time Today - Enjoy the Weekend Action

Bayern Edge City, Schalke Shock Chelsea, Roma Run Riot On & Off the Pitch, Ole Gunnar Out at Cardiff, Jonathan Wilson on Alejandro Sabella

Due to reader complaints, our usual Schalke fan has been replaced. For today...

Right! Talk around SSN Headquarters yesterday was about how many Chelsea would put past Schalke. Cut to the chase: none of us were correct. No, nobody in the office guessed the game would end 1-1. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich controlled their affair with Manchester City but couldn't score until late. That's all it takes, though. Barcelona knows it. They could only manage one at home against Apoel Nicosia. And it was a Pique header! PSG and Ajax? 1-1. Roma went all nutty on CSKA Moscow to the tune of 6-1, while Porto did them one better with their 6-0 victory over BATE. Also going nutty were the Roma and CSKA supports. Both clubs could be in trouble after violence broke out inside and outside the Stadio Olimpico. Here's the lowdown from last night and the matchday in general:

Champions League Matchday One Review

Champions League Rewind

Winners and Losers – Champions League Matchday One

Team of the Week

John Brewin: English clubs frustrated again

Bayern Munich 1 - 0 Manchester City: Daniel Taylor at Allianz Arena

Raphael Honigstein: Bayern's late win eases the pressure on Pep

Jamie Jackson: Another big-game Touré no-show

Gary Neville: City must learn to see Champions League games out

Richard Jolly: Three Points: Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City

Chelsea 1 - 1 Schalke: Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Barney Ronay: Hazard sparkles but Chelsea fail to find finishing to match

Roma 5 - 1 CSKA Moscow: Report

Crowd trouble in Rome.

Poor Ye 'Ole Gunnar. Everyone's favorite Norwegian baby-faced assassin lasted less than nine months in charge of Cardiff. He's stepped down. Good effort, though.

Jonathan Wilson is a favorite scribe of ours. Today he's looking to answer this question: Where next for Alejandro Sabella? The manager left his post with Argentina after the World Cup final and is in search of a new gig.

The Europa League is today, but it's so early, we really can't be bothered to provide any previews. We'll take a look tomorrow and see if anything happened of note. OK? Good.

Uhh, Major League Soccer unveiled a new logo. So, you know. Big news.

Oops.

Hey! That'll do for today.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Dortmund Defeat Shambolic Arsenal, Liverpool Leave it Late to Beat Bulgarian Minnows, Seattle Win U.S. Open Cup, Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City

Is it Hump Day already? Geez. Well, in Champions League action yesterday, Arsenal had a night in Europe to forget as Dortmund easily brushed them off the pitch. They only scored two but it could easily have been five or six. Elsewhere, Real Madrid did score five to cruise past Basel, and Liverpool barely survived a scare at Anfield against Ludogorets Razgrad. Here's your lot from Tuesday's European fixtures:

Champions League Rewind

Champions League Tuesday Review

Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Arsenal: Henry Winter at the Westfalenstadion

Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Arsenal: Daniel Taylor at the Westfalenstadion

Miguel Delaney: Three Points: Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal

Jim White: Arsenal have problems

Arsenal Player Ratings

Liverpool 2 - 1 Ludogorets Razgrad: Richard Jolly at Anfield

Liverpool 2 - 1 Ludogorets Razgrad: Paul Wilson at Anfield

Real Madrid 5 - 1 Basel: Sid Lowe at the Bernabéu

Dermot Corrigan: Three Points: Real Madrid vs. Basel

Real Madrid Player Ratings

Modric to Bale = Goal

Back in the USA, Seattle won the U.S. Open Cup thanks to a Clint Dempsey goal. Bird has Three Thoughts.

Talking Points! Let's look back at the weekend one last time: European football returned this weekend and there were twists and turns in every domestic league. With transfer deadline signings suited up for their new clubs and squads refreshed following the extended international break, there were plenty of movers and shakers in the league tables across Europe.

Champions League Wednesday Team News

Chelsea vs. Schalke: Preview

Dominic Fifield: Schalke’s slow start leaves squad doubting themselves for Chelsea

Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City: Preview I

Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City: Preview II

Raphael Honigstein: Bayern aim to bounce back from Pep’s ‘biggest cock-up of career’

That's it!

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

The Champions League Begins, Scribes, U.S. Open Cup Final, Keeper’s Water Bottle Spiked With Urine

Hello Hello Hello! What a day we have! So much to get through, so let's roll. Monday Night Football finished 2-2 between Hull City and West Ham. The highlight was the Hammers' new man Enner Valencia's cracker of a strike. Richard Gibson was at the KC Stadium.

The Champions League Group Stage gets going today. Let's begin with some general previews and thoughts ahead of this year's competition prior to diving into this week's action. Here:

2014-2015 Champions League Preview. 

Five Key Questions for 2014-15. 

The view from the Continent. 

Michael Cox: A competitive Premier League may have led to England's UCL decline.

OK! Now that's done, what's up today? Obviously, Arsenal's trip to Dortmund is grabbing the headlines since those two clubs are rather large, it must be said. Oh, and Liverpool host something called Ludogorets Razgrad after five years of Champions League exile. Interesting...

Matchday One Previews

Five Storylines to Watch

Uli Hesse: Battle commences once again between English and German clubs

Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal: Preview I

Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal: Preview II

David Hytner: Injuries raise questions about Arsène Wenger’s transfer strategy

Liverpool vs. Ludogorets Razgrad: Preview I

Liverpool vs. Ludogorets Razgrad: Preview II

Liverpool vs. Ludogorets Razgrad: Preview III

Andy Hunter: Rodgers takes long view as Liverpool embrace return to Europe

Real Madrid vs. Basel: Preview

What the hell is going on at Newcastle? Barry Glendenning takes a gander at the chaos at St. James' Park.

The U.S. Open Cup Final is also today (7:30 pm EDT on GolTV). Here's all you need to know about that illustrious competition and a preview of the match itself featuring Seattle vs. Philly. Sticking with the U.S., Bird has his MLS honors from the weekend and Jeff Carlisle has his weekend review and Power Rankings.

Would it make a difference?

Scribe Time! In-depth analysis of the action around the globe. Sadly, just Europe this week. For some reason nobody is writing about South America.

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Turan gives Atlético life...and Real another derby defeat

Where? Germany. Who? Adam Bate. What? Kagawa is back where he belongs

Where? Spain. Who? Guillem Balague. What? Madrid need to be more adaptable and show intensity

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Hamburg in a familiar position while Schalke’s crisis deepens

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Inter repeat 7-0 Sassuolo thrashing as Milan edge nine-goal Parma thriller

It is Tuesday, so that means it is also time for Marcotti's musings. This week, Gabriele is gabbing about Real Madrid's self-inflicted issues, Man Utd's evolution, and Barca's bright start.

And finally...there's this: Swiss Football Shaken By Truly Disgusting Scandal After Goalkeeper’s Water Bottle Spiked With Urine.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsports.com

No More Gus Johnson, Real Madrid 1-2 Atlético Madrid, Arsenal 2-2 Manchester City, Inter Milan 7-0 Sassuolo, Liverpool 0-1 Aston Villa, Parma 4-5 AC Milan, Big Interview = Thomas Müller, Monday Night Football

Where's Waldo Welbeck?

All right! We were pretty excited going into the weekend because it looked pretty damn good on paper. Isn't lovely when the paper is correct? An enthralling draw at the Emirates, Chelsea's attacking machine, Atlético's win over Real, Inter's annihilation again of Sass, Manchester United's new boys changing the mood, Parma and AC Milan in a thriller, there was so much great action. Perhaps the greatest action, however, was Gus Johnson's decision to step down as Fox Sports' lead soccer announcer. While we understand and sympathize with the difficulties in his personal life, we also don't care for his presence on our televisions during soccer matches. Now, let's move on to the Premier League and all the fallout from the weekend:

10 Talking Points

Kammy's Weekend Review

Heroes and Villains

Arsenal 2 - 2 Manchester City: Daniel Taylor at the Emirates Stadium

Arsenal 2 - 2 Manchester City: Phil McNulty at the Emirates Stadium

Barney Ronay: Agüero in a class of his own but Welbeck shows promise

Chelsea 4 - 2 Swansea City: Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Liverpool 0 - 1 Aston Villa: Chris Bevan at Anfield

Manchester United 4 - 0 QPR: Five Talking Points

Richard Jolly: Three Points: Manchester United vs. QPR

Simon Stone: From Fellaini to Falcao - fortunes revived at Old Trafford

Amy Lawrence: Van Gaal’s new era is on an upward trajectory

Team of the Weekend

Garth Crooks's Team of the Week

No shortage of drama in Spain, where Atlético Madrid went to the Bernabéu and beat Real. Was Sid Lowe there? Duh. Here's his report. And here's a wee weekend review. We'll have more on Spain from El Sid tomorrow.

CRISIS!!!

No shortage of drama in Italy, where Inter Milan pasted Sussudio Sassuolo yet again (!) and AC Milan edged Parma in a thriller. Here's a wee weekend review. We'll have more on Italy with Paolo Bandini tomorrow.

Oooo. We've got a Big Interview to begin the week. It's Raphael Honigstein asking the questions and it's Thomas Müller providing the answers.

Last Weekend In Europe

The complete package (ahem) for Diego...

As if all that excitement from the weekend wasn't enough, there's Monday Night Football to enjoy today! Yes, indeed. Big Sam and his boys head up to Hull to face Mrs. Doubtfire and his Tigers of Hull. Here'a preview. Want to watch? Great! Go to NBCSN at 3pm EDT and you'll be all set.

And finally...Thomas Vermaelen can't park his car.

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com

Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid, Arsenal vs. Manchester City, Chelsea vs. Swansea, This Weekend In Europe, Top Tenner, The Joy of Six, The Gentleman Ultra

Rainbow laces outside Arsenal Station...

And there goes another (LONG) one, folks! Finally, finally, the weekend has arrived and with it a plethora of wonderful watching opportunity. Loads to get through today, so let's jump off in England, shall we?

Premier League Preview

Premier League Notebook

10 things to look out for this weekend

10 Questions for the Weekend

Premier League Spotlight

Team News

50-50 Challenge: Arsenal vs. Manchester City

Chelsea or Swansea: Who will win?

Mark Ogden: How the 'Van Gaalacticos' could line up against QPR

Paul Merson's Predictions

Lawro's Predictions

PODCAST! Praise be, proper football is back, and on today's Football Weekly Extraaaaaa, AC Jimbo has Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Simon Burnton to bring out the bunting. We preview all the big games this weekend, including Arsenal v Manchester City, Aston Villa's trip to Liverpool and the top of the table clash between Chelsea and Swansea. Next, we head to the Championship, where leaders Nottingham Forest host Derby, and a number of former players are talking themselves up as potential managers of Leeds. Well, someone has to. Finally, we wave goodbye to those pesky European Championship qualifiers by hearing from Stefán Snær Ágústsson about why Iceland may just be the team to watch on the road to France 2016 - and why you can't call your children Harriet or Duncan in Reykjavik.

This Weekend In Europe

Would you look at this? Barcelona will drop their regular home kit in exchange for Catalan colors against Athletic Bilbao tomorrow. That's a first. What else is on tap in La Liga? Here are some previews:

La Liga Round Three Preview

Madrid Derby: Preview

50-50 Challenge: Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid

Champions vs. Champions: Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid

Michael Cox: What the football world can learn from Simeone & Atlético Madrid

Nicholas Rigg: Stage set for Ronaldo to put niggling doubts to bed

Top Tenner is...Memorable Player Debuts! Good stuff. The Joy of Six is...Football Streaks! Good stuff.

Woo Hoo! The Gentleman Ultra is back! This time, his Serie A Alternative Guide is...AC Milan! Enjoy! Also, please enjoy this Serie A Weekend Preview.

They are still playing top flight football in this country, don't you know? Here are Five Things To Look Out For in MLS. And here's a preview for the weekend's Stateside action.

Key TV

Saturday

Arsenal vs. Manchester City - 7:45am EDT - NBCSN

Chelsea vs. Swansea City - 10am EDT - NBCSN

Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao - 10am EDT - beIN Sports USA

Boldmere St. Michaels vs Bedworth United - 10am EDT - None

Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid - 2pm EDT - beIN Sports USA

Sunday

Manchester United vs. Queens Park Rangers - 11am EDT - NBCSN

Parma vs. AC Milan - 2:45pm EDT - beIN Sports USA

That'll do it, folks! Enjoy the action. 

Onward!!

-SSN

Five Best Soccer Mascots, Almost Weekend Previews

Alex Song arrives for training at West Ham...

Hi.

Yesterday's post discussed the problems Spurs are having with their new stadium plans. So, what exactly are their options in terms of stadia when they can't play at home? Miguel Delaney breaks it down like this.

God, it's slow. We don't really want to get into previews for the weekend today. A lot can change in 24 hours. That said, here are some nice and easy vids for La Liga (Who will win the Madrid Derby?!), Serie A (Fernando Torres in Milan!), and Ligue Uhhhhhhh (Can Lyon stop the rot against Monaco?!). Speaking of Torres, you better believe Milan have high hopes for their new boy. Can he turn back the clock and find his form? Speaking of the Madrid Derby, here are Five Classic Madrid Derby Moments. How convenient is that?

God it's slow. The Five Best Soccer Mascots? Sure. Why not?

Napoli's third jersey: Feel the denim

Yank Abroad Brek Shea has been loaned (by Stoke) to Birmingham City. Good luck to him. May he actually see some playing time.

One dude who is looking ahead to the weekend is Richard Jolly. He's got his eyes on the Arsenal/Man City clash and considers the attacking options for both sides.

That'll do until tomorrow when we can really dig into the weekend's fixtures.

Onward!!

-SSN

Tottenham Stadium Delay, Euro 2016 Wrap-Up, Suárez To Play El Clásico, Amy Lawrence On Acclimation, Tim Vickery On Uruguay's Next Generation

It's Hump Day, peeps! And that means the international break is OVER! Good riddance. Let's get back to some proper footie, shall we? OK, before we do that, we probably should look back at what we learned, what happened, yadda yadda. Here are 10 Talking Points from the week's action. And, just what have we learned? Besides the fact that The Czechs beat The Dutch, that is.

Spelling is hard...

Tottenham want a new ground. They need a new ground. They won't have a new ground for a while. To make matters worse for Spurs fans, it looks delays also mean their side will have to play a season away from home.

Tim Vickery is a favorite of ours. He's been submitting articles about South American soccer from his base in Rio for years. Today, he's taking a look at Uruguay's next generation. José María Giménez, anyone?

Amy Lawrence is also a favorite of ours. Today, she examines the difficulties foreign players often have when adapting to life in England. In her piece, David Ginola talks about moving from Paris to Newcastle: "On my first day in Newcastle I went for a drive around town with my wife and said, 'This is where we are going to live.' I realised what an enormous step I had taken when my wife started crying in my arms in the car."

Michael Cox is a tactics man. Today, he's looking ahead to Saturday and Sunday (aren't we all?) and wondering how Falcao, Welbeck, and Ben Arfa will fit into their new sides. Tactically speaking, of course.

Good luck with that one, Liverpool brass.

October 25th, people. That's the day of the next Clásico. It'll be in Madrid and a certain Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz will be available to dig into the action. Step up to the plate, as it were. Sample the local fare. Chew the fat with his new Barcelona teammates. What fun for him. Let's hope he can step away for a moment mentally and digest the enormity of the occasion. Cough. It'll be at 12pm EST on beIN Sports USA. Now you know.

And finally...no Messi for you!

Onward!!

-SSN

England Win, Estonia Win, San Marino Lose, Montenegro Win, Fear The Zlatan

Hello, Tuesday! Yay! England won a match and it actually had some moments that were not completely snore-inducing. The tabloids can calm down. Here's more on that:

Switzerland 0 - 2 England: Daniel Taylor at St Jakob Park

Five Talking Points

Phil McNulty: Player Ratings

Richard Jolly: Gary Cahill emerges as England's rock

Barney Ronay: Hodgson must solve Wilshere conundrum for new-look England

Elsewhere? Well, Spain crushed Macedonia, Slovakia beat Ukraine, Austria and Sweden drew, Russia beat Liechtenstein, San Marino lost to Lithuania (should we continue? Yes? OK), Montenegro beat Moldova, and Estonia edged Slovenia. Oh, and Luxembourg and Belarus drew. Ahem.

This match is on Fox Sports 1 at 12:00pm EDT today...

Today, Wales play Andorra, The Dutch go and play the Czechs, Kazakhstan host Latvia, Italy go to Norway, and there are other matches, too.

We've always maintained that you need to fear The Zlatan. It's one of the SSN Headquarters policies. Strict policies, they are. It turns out, we're not the only one who fears The Zlatan.

This is awfully fun: The 10 goals of the season in the 1980s. Those were that days...

It is Tuesday so we should check in with Major League Soccer and see who is leading the pack in terms of power. Bird claims that the assGalaxy have surged to the top of the Power Rankings. Bird also has his MLS Best XI for the week. It looks like Jason Davis agrees with Bird. He's also got the assGalaxy atop his Power Rankings.

That's it.

Onward!!

-SSN

Euro 2016 Qualifiers & Quiet

Well, hey there! Welcome to another week. There are some matches that matter, but sadly, thanks to those in the game who prefer to improve aspects like sponsorship revenue opportunities as opposed to action on the pitch, they don't matter as much. You see, in its infinite wisdom, UEFA has decided that 24 countries will be welcome at EURO 2016. That's too many. It means a lot of these qualifiers simply are not that important. And that's sad. It's sad because even though Albania stunned Portugal yesterday, the Portuguese will most like qualify anyway because there are so many open slots. It is Portugal, though, so you never know. Bad example...

What is also sad is all these meaningless friendlies and watered down qualifiers lead to injuries. Still interested? Here's a Guide. Still interested? We suppose it's a bit interesting to see how bad England are/have been. They play the Swiss today. Phil McNulty says they better not lose!

So! Enough of that. Let's turn that frown upside down with The Best Goals of the Week. Roberto Baggio via a gorgeous assist from Diego Maradona? Don't mind if we do.

What have we here? Ronaldinho has gone to Mexico? Oh, dear. Looks like the Buck-Toothed/Geri-Curled One is pulling a Tom Petty and Free Falling. Ouch.

You may have noticed that it's a bit slow this morning. Case in point: "Journalist attacked by thugs after asking Gyan about 'human sacrifice' rumours, brother arrested."

Yes, it's slow. So...finally...let's all welcome these WAGS to the Premier League.

Onward!!

-SSN

USA Defeat Czech Republic, Argentina & Di María Destroy Germany, England Snorefest

Yeah, not what we'd want to do on a Wednesday night in London, either...

Whew! We looked up and Argentina were beating Germany by the score of 4-0. It ended 4-2, but the point had been made. What if Di María had played in Brazil? Sure, the German squad was weak, but what if Di María had played in Brazil? He scored a goal and had three assists last night. What if Di María had played in Brazil? Conrad Leach was at the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf and filed this report. Raphael Honigstein takes a closer look at the German World Cup Hangover in this fine article.

And what of the United States? They had a little party in Prague and beat the hosts 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alejandro Bedoya. It was a pretty entertaining affair, actually. Some good end-to-end stuff for a fair amount of the match. To be fair, the Czechs pretty much dominated the second half, and per usual, the Yanks had a great goalie performance (this time from Nick Rimando) to thank for preserving the win. Here's your lot:

Brian Straus: Philosophy key in U.S. victory 

Jeff Carlisle: U.S. aggression key to win

Grant Wahl: Three Thoughts

Doug McIntyre: Three Points

Player Grades

We know you'll all be shocked to hear that England's match against Norway sucked. It was drab, boring, labored, whatever synonym you want to throw in there. Sadly for Daniel Taylor, he was there and forced to file this report. You want more on that match? What is you, loco? OK, fine. You get Phil McNulty and this: England need to win their fans back.

There are two matches of interest today: France vs. Spain and Italy vs. Netherlands.

There were some matching in MLS last night. Philly, Seattle, and New England were victorious. Here's a wrap.

And finally...Mario Balotelli's new crib has a helipad.

Onward!!

-SSN

International (UGH) Break

Anyone going to Wembley today? Anyone? Didn't think so...

Good Grief. It's the dreaded September International Break already. The club action starts to heat up and, boom. Stop. Full Stop. Time for Russia/Azerbaijan, Denmark/Turkey, and Ireland/Oman. To be fair, Germany vs. Argentina could be decent since it's true great teams and rematch of the World Cup Final that took place just shy of two months ago. Ahhh, and our Yanks are in Prague to play the Czechs (2:15pm EDT on NBCSN). Oh, and England host Norway at...sorry, dozed off there...Wembley. Here are some previews, beginning with the U.S. of A. and their roster:

Goalkeepers: Cody Cropper (Southampton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (RSL)

Defenders: John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton)

Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt),
Brek Shea (Stoke City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Joe Gyau (Borussia Dortmund II), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich)

USA vs. Czech Republic: Preview

Graham Parker: United States' winding road to Russia

Brian Strauss: Brek Shea still in club limbo after USA call-up

Jeff Carlisle: Klinsmann talks World Cup, MLS, dual nationals and Donovan

Raphael Honigstein know his Germany, yes he does. Here's his preview for the WORLD CHAMPIONS' friendly against Argentina.

Spain were shit in Brazil, remember? They were the first nation knocked out. Time to rebuild! Sid Lowe takes a gander at what 'Ol del Bosque has in mind for his tika-tacking failures ahead of the friendlies against against France and Macedonia. Sticking with Spain, Guillem Balague says Real Madrid  have shown 'zero logic' this summer. Damn, Guillem! You harsh!

We want our money back! It appears that even the 1% can get upset when their team sell their stars. Those poor Monacans. Monacoans? Monégasque? Really? Cool.

We want our prestige back! According to Paul Wilson, the Premier League has got it back. Thanks to all those big-$$ signings.

We out!

Onward!!

-SSN

Transfer Insanity, Tim Howard Insanity, Real Sociedad/Real Madrid Insanity, Paolo Bandini in Italy, Sid Lowe in Spain, Sam Kelly in Argentina, Dildo in Sky Reporter's Ear

El Tigre: "I am sure that this season will be great for us."

Good Morning! All of us at SSN Headquarters hope those of you living Stateside had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend and have returned to your respective offices with a renewed vigor ready to tackle the coming autumnal months. So much happened over the weekend it's tough to know where to begin. Actually, we know where to begin. We have to begin with the Sky Sports reporter and the dildo in his ear.

Ahem. Now then. The Transfer Window is finally closed, so let's take a look at where everyone has ended up now that the dust has settled (except for Tom Cleverley's dust). Prepare thee for...Insane-o-Linkathon:

The Major Moves Across Europe

Premier League Clubs: Ins & Outs

Premier League Clubs: Complete Transfer Spending & Listings

Phil McNulty: The winners and losers after the deadline passes

James Horncastle: Transfer grades for the elite clubs across Europe

Henry Winter: Falcao's arrival a huge deal that makes sense for in every possible way

Daniel Taylor: Falcao’s arrival at Manchester United poses formation questions

Miguel Delaney: What did we learn?

David Conn: Transfer spree reveals extent of Old Trafford upheaval

John Brewin: Is Falcao the answer for United?

Amy Lawrence: Arsenal sign the Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck for £16m

Jeremy Wilson: Welbeck transfer evidence of English policy at Arsenal & galactico policy at Manchester United

Paul Parker: Falcao coup brilliant for United - but it's the end of the road for Rooney

First XI Costs in the Premier League

Scribe time! Go around the world with the best writers every Tuesday! Extra fun with Paolo today and the return of Serie A!

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? The Arcángel roars as Córdoba return 

Where? Argentina. Who? Sam Kelly. What? Argentina enter the Martino era with some familiar faces

Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Falcao is "The Tiger" who tears defenses apart

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Schalke's miners find renewed energy

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Milan’s El Shaarawy dazzles without Balotelli cramping his style

Where? Monaco. Who? Andy Brassell. Wait. Isn't he in Germany? Yes, but he's also in Monaco. OK. What? Monaco's ambitious dream fades with Radamel Falcao exit

Chicharito: "Playing for Real Madrid is a dream come true. Everybody in the world knows Real Madrid."

They do play soccer at a relatively high level in the United States. The top league is called Major League Soccer. Here are Five Things We Learned from the weekend. You want Power Rankings? Bam! Bird's got you covered.

Speaking of Americans, Timmy Howard had a weekend to forget after Chelsea put six past him at Goodison Park. Some dude named Tim Hill says the USA secretary of defence is just Everton's overrated keeper. Ouch. He's incorrect, of course, but it's worth a read.

And finally, a quick look back at what happened in Europe over the weekend. For one, Real Madrid threw away a two-goal lead...

Onward!!

-SSN

Serie A Returns, Tottenham vs. Liverpool, Everton vs. Chelsea, Napoli?

There goes another one! The week is over, and with Serie A bringing the ruckus this weekend, we'll finally have all the top Euro leagues back up and running. Let's begin in Italy, shall we?

Serie A Week One Preview

Paolo Bandini: Juventus, Roma, Milan scramble to be ready for Serie A kick-off

Serie A Season Preview I

Serie A Season Preview II

Serie A Preview III (video)

We noted the tasty English match-ups in the subject line. What else is on tap for the Premier League this weekend? Check it:

Premier League Preview

Team News

10 Things To Look Out For

Spotlight

Paul Merson's Predictions

Lawro's Predictions

The Weekend In Europe

Xabi Alonso. Kagawa. Falcao. Cambiasso. Cleverly. Chicharito. On to...The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

That 3-5-2 that van Gaal loves and Manchester United is finding difficult to adapt. What's the deal with that? Jonathan Wilson investigates.

This is Karim Benzema's chrome Bugatti Veyron, which costs roughly €2 million (£1.6m).

James Horncastle notes that Napoli were knocked out of the Champions League (qualifying) by Athletic Bilbao. Is it the end of the Rafa Benitez revolution at Napoli?

Barney Ronay is asking this question today: Will the real Mesut Özil stand up? Barney Ronay is offering this answer today: Very possibly at Arsenal this season.

Enjoy the weekend!

Onward!!

-SSN

The Champions League

MK Dons Destroy Manchester United, Champions League Qualifying Previews, Warnock In At Palace, Donovan Gets One More Match

Crisis. Crisis? What crisis? The (social) media vultures are circling around Manchester United after they were dispatched from the What's In Your Wallet? Cup by MK Dons. The score? 4-0. Ouch. Here's the fallout:

MK Dons 4 - 0 Manchester United: Report

MK Dons 4 - 0 Manchester United: Richard Rae at Stadium MK

John Brewin: Van Gaal remains bullish despite loss

Manchester United crisis: five reasons to still be cheerful … and concerned

One player who did not play for United yesterday is Ángel di María. Thankfully for fans of The Red Devils, he'll be playing soon. Sid Lowe takes a look at the move from the Madrid perspective.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, ride my Chevrolet.

There were some Champions League qualifiers last night. Teams that advanced to the Group Stage include Zenit, BATE, and APOEL, but not Celtic. Tonight, the biggie is in London where Arsenal host Besiktas in the second leg of their affair (2:45pm EDT on Fox Sports 1). The first leg was scoreless. Prep with this:

Arsenal vs. Besiktas: Preview

Arsenal vs. Besiktas: Preview II

Amy Lawrence: Wenger’s gamble on Giroud fitness may force late payout

Right. So di María has gone to United. Samuel Eto'o'o'o'o'o, meanwhile, has signed with Everton. What else might happen between now and the end of the month?

The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

Jermaine Jones now plays for New England. How did it happen? With a "blind draw." What the hell is that? Jeff Carlisle is frustrated, as are we. Especially a certain Bobbie BS.

Crystal Palace have a new gaffer. Neil Warnock has returned to Selhurst Park to try to right the ship. Warnock managed the Eagles from 2007-2010. How long before he's fined for criticizing the refs?

Serie A begins this weekend! Woo hoo! Let's preview Hellas Verona, a side featuring 63-year-old striker Luca Toni.

And finally...Landon Donovan will don the uniform of the U.S. National Team one more time.

Onward!!

-SSN

City Defeat Liverpool, United Agree £60m fee for Di María, Scribes, Podcast

Is Munir El Haddadi Mohamed ready to bust out at Barcelona?

Has Manchester City already won the title? Perhaps Chelsea can compete, but City are so deep at every position, it's really theirs to lose. Yesterday, they had little trouble with Liverpool. And Liverpool looked pretty good! Here's the breakdown from the match:

Manchester City 3-1 Liverpool: Henry Winter at the Etihad Stadium

Phil McNulty: City deliver statement of intent with Liverpool win

Five Talking Points

Richard Jolly: City exploit weaknesses

Michael Cox: Silva’s mastery crucial to City’s win over Liverpool

Richard Jolly: Jovetic's success vindicating Pellegrini

It's Tuesday, and that means Marcotti's Musings. Today, Gab is gabbing about Di Maria and Balotelli.

The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

Scribe time! Go around the world with the best writers every Tuesday!

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Eibar’s lumberjacks fell their rivals in perfect introduction to La Liga

Where? Spain. Who? Graham Hunter. What? The emergence of Munir El Haddadi

Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Angel Di Maria can thrive as Old Trafford star man

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Did the Bundesliga title race just finish in record time?

Where? Italy. Who? Uli Hesse. What? Finding a hallowed ground in Padua

Where? Norway. Who? Marcus Christenson. What? Martin Odegaard: how will Norwegian 15-year-old cope with the limelight?

Podcast! On this bank holiday edition of Football Weekly, AC Jimbo is joined by his old chum Philippe Auclair as well as Barry Glendenning and John Ashdown to look back on a wild weekend in the Premier League. Tottenham sit atop the embryonic table after making sure former manager Harry Redknapp had an unhappy return to White Hart Lane with QPR. Meanwhile, Manchester United are about to splurge huge bucks on a winger when what they really need is a clue (and a centre-back and midfielder). Next, we round up a few bits and bobs from around Europe - including a blindingly fast goal in the Bundesliga – before turning our attention to the Championship, where Felix Magath's time at Fulham goes from bad to worse … to shambles.

La Liga began this past weekend. What the hell did we learn? Here are Five Things That We Learned. Here's what happened yesterday. Once Madrid side won and another drew.

Major League Soccer Power Rankings! Bird puts D.C. at the top.

Crazy MLS Contract Clown Show! MLS Changes the Rules to Swing Jones to Revs

That's a wrap.

Onward!!

-SSN