Soccerlens.com

The Global Game: Watching The Premier League In Pakistan

Earlier this week I came across the ‘Global Game‘ initiative launched by Nick Harris (Mail on Sunday, Sporting Intelligence). It’s a great idea, hopefully it catches on and more and more people from different parts of the world who follow football (and especially the English Premier League) can contribute to it. In the meantime, here’s…

Lionel Messi’s 202 Goals For Barcelona – In 12 Minutes

All of Messi’s 202 goals scored for Barcelona (2005-2011), in a simple, no-frills video. After the constant adulation, it is still ridiculous how good is really is. Of course, when you’re playing with the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Henry and Iniesta, it gets a bit easier. But we tend to forget how the young Messi…

English Football Wages: 1984 to 2010

Football wages are a ridiculously easy target – whether it’s the high wages paid by Chelsea and then Manchester City, the astronomical wage bills of Barcelona and Real Madrid fueled by unequal TV deals or the retirement homes that front as football clubs in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, football wages have steadily increased…

Review: Why Football Manager 2012 Will Rock Your World

The first impression you get while playing Football Manager 2012 is how it’s improved as an imitation of the real thing – a genuine simulation of what it means to be a football manager, inasmuch as you can simulate the experience digitally. Granted, there are no fans screaming pedophile chants at you, the BBC isn’t…

Sunderland Q&A: Transfers, Fans and Footballing Identity

Earlier this month Roker Report (Sunderland blog) editor Simon Walsh asked us if we’d like to do a Q&A on Sunderland – and here it is. We talk about Sunderland’s transfer policy, footballing identity (or lack thereof) as well as whether Sunderland will be in a relegation battle this season. Q: Stoke are known for…

Football Manager: Advanced Stats, Live Odds and Scouting+

Football Manager will be released on 21 October 20112 – here’s a look at how Miles Jacobson and co. can make the game even better for the millions of football fans who religiously play the game every year. So we know there won’t any players tweeting from within Football Manager 2012, nor will you see…

Manchester United Season Preview: Tactics, 20th League Title, Sneijder And More

Imagine that you’re appointed manager of Manchester United tomorrow morning. The world is at your feet. You have (statistically speaking) the best team in the world alongside Barcelona in club football and you have a phenomenally talented young squad that will win titles before it reaches it’s full potential. You even have the luxury to…

Udinese are the easiest hurdle for Arsenal in an incredibly tough August

The season hasn’t started yet, but Arsenal are already contemplating a tough month ahead with matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle and Udinese to start their season with, plus trouble in the transfer market with Fabregas and Nasri pushing for moves away and a lack of incoming talent. There’s a strong temptation to categorise Arsenal’s…

The Best of 2011/2012 Premier League Fixtures: Part Two

Last week we analysed the first half the 2011/2012 Premier League fixtures list, looking at the key clashes through August to December. Here we look at the second half of the season and try to pick where the best action is likely to be. Remember, you can watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League…

Warner And Hammam: Guilty As Charged?

The BBC has obtained a document authored by the Carribean Football Union (CFU) detailing claims that Jack Warner had full knowledge of and participated in the distribution of cash bribes to members of the CFU at a special meeting promoting Mohamed Bin Hammam’s Fifa presidential bid. In a report by the CFU general secretary Angenie…