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Footy Factor 2010-01-12 10:53
Carlton Cole and others worth a pluck

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: nothing good ever comes of the January transfer window. But while rumours of big-money moves and blockbuster trades persist, here is our pick of four relegation-bound players ripe for the plucking: Morten Gamst Pedersen. Having threatened to drop off the radar under Paul Ince’s stewardship, the Norwegian [...]

Footy Factor 2010-01-11 11:08
Nineteenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Old Man Winter spared only two Premiership matches this weekend, which could be interprated as both a curse or blessing for the clubs who had the weekend off. Some will be pleased that their players got an unscheduled winter break, while others will be wary of the logjam of fixtures that’s forming at the end [...]

Footy Factor 2010-01-09 03:08
Adebayor Isn’t the Only Player From Togo

Like you, we were shocked when we first heard reports that Togo’s team bus had been ambushed by gunmen on its way to its home base for the upcoming African Nations Cup. As of this writing, the details of the shooting remain murky and the number of injured and dead is up in the air. But what is clear is that some players and staff were seriously hurt and that the authorities in charge of security for the tournament have a lot to answer for. You don’t just drive through an area of Africa steeped in political turmoil without the right protection. These were risks that should have been avoided.

Footy Factor 2010-01-08 11:08
Now or N-Everton

With US International star Landon Donovan set to arrive this week at Everton on a 10 week loan from the LA Galaxy, footy fans on both side of the pond are asking: Will Donovan finally prove himself in Europe? To answer that question we thought it would be helpful to take a look at Landycakes' past Euro-tours, and analyze what might be different this time:

Footy Factor 2010-01-08 00:53
No Skin Off My Back

The concept of putting squad numbers on the back of a shirt was invented, of all places, in Australia. In 1911, players on both sides of an Australian rules football match in Sydney experimented with numbers on their backs. Two soccer clubs in Sydney – Leichhardt and HMS Powerful – followed suit, and the rest is history.

Footy Factor 2010-01-07 11:23
Heskey’s do-or-die January

With the transfer window officially open for business, each new day brings with it a spate of far-fetched player rumours. Yesterday’s jaw-dropper comes courtesy of The Times for suggesting that Real Madrid are on the verge of pouncing for Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic (as if Sir Alex is going to ditch his best defender when more than half his backline are in the treatment room!) But one player’s name that continually crops up when transfer season hits full swing is none other than Emile Heskey. We can’t believe it either...

Footy Factor 2010-01-06 11:08
3D is Coming to Football

On the few occasions that we’ve sat at pitch level during a football match, we’ve always been amazed at the stunning lack of depth perception you get compared to sitting higher up. From this ground level perspective, you can hardly see the space between players; everyone seems to be stepping on each other’s toes. Frankly, we’re shocked that anyone on the field can pick out a clean pass – particularly those long glory balls that Steven Gerrard likes to launch at least once a match.

Footy Factor 2010-01-05 10:54
January Transfer Window: What’s the Point?

In 2002 – for reasons that were probably only clear to a small group of lawyers hired by the European Union – football transfers were confined to two windows of opportunity each year. The official line from the technocrats was that it was done to simplify the transfer process and bring most of the major European leagues in line with each other. But if you actually look at the effect it has had on teams, it’s hard to see the point.

Footy Factor 2010-01-04 10:53
Kris Boyd – The Most Lethal Striker You’ve Never Heard Of

Since Henrik Larsson's free transfer from Celtic in June 2004, Scottish football has been crying out for a new headline act. Bagging 242 goals in 315 matches for the Glaswegian club, Larsson departed Great Britain a Scottish football icon and the SPL's all-time leading goalscorer with 158 strikes. Considering Larsson suffered a double fracture to his leg that saw him miss the 99/00 season, the Swedish frontman's scoring exploits during his seven-year stint north of the border stand head and shoulders above his contemporaries. But barely five-and-a-half-years since Larsson bagged a brace against Dundee United (his last league goals), Glasgow and Scotland have a new hero. Step forward Kris Boyd, the most lethal striker you've never heard of.

Footy Factor 2010-01-03 23:22
Eighteenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Although the FA Cup Third Round dominated this weekend's football, there were some critical midweek Premier League matches that impact on teams at the top and bottom of the division. Here's a round-up of what it all means.

Footy Factor 2009-12-31 20:22
The Footy Factor Matrix: December 2009

December was a thrilling month in the world of football. And in a first for Footy Factor, we’ve summarized all the news worth knowing about during the previous month in one easily digestible guide. Disagree with any of the items we’ve included, or where we’ve located them? Not a problem: send us your feedback!

Footy Factor 2009-12-30 05:07
Bolton Crave Clean Sheets

Keeping clean sheets has proved a task beyond Bolton Wanderers so far this season. The only top flight club yet to hold their opponenets scoreless home or away, Gary Megson's side average 2.0 goals against per game. Chelsea hold the best goals against average conceding just 0.80 goals per game.

Footy Factor 2009-12-30 04:52
The Making of a Winning Premiership Squad

Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, four clubs have enjoyed Premiership title winning honours - Arsenal four times, Blackburn once, Chelsea twice and Manchester United eleven times. Despite Liverpool threatening last season and Manchester City impressing this term, this year's title will in all likelihood remain with one of its previous winners. But why is the supposed “most competitive football league in the world” dominated by just four teams? And of those four sides, why does one stand head and shoulders above the rest? The answer is in the making of a 24-man squad.

Footy Factor 2009-12-29 03:07
Seventeenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Birmingham's best of the best. The Second city of the United Kingdom can lay claim to two of the hottest teams in the land. Birmingham City lead the way with 6 wins and 2 ties from their last 8 matches including a home draw to leaders Chelsea and more recently a hard-fought one-nil scalp of Stoke at the Britannia. Crosstown rivals Aston Villa, although slightly less impressive with 5 wins, 2 ties and 1 loss in their last 8 fixtures, sit higher in the table in 5th place with the potential to go 4th pending the outcome of their game in hand on high-flying Tottenham.

Footy Factor 2009-12-27 08:52
Ancelotti’s Naked Truth

One story we're sure to keep a close eye on over the next couple of weeks is Carlo Ancelotti's proclamation that Chelsea will not be dipping into the January transfer window to add another striker to the club's ranks. Only yesterday, Carlo said, "There's no way I will sign a new striker and will do a forfeit if I do. For sure, I would even run around naked in the snow, yes."

Footy Factor 2009-12-26 01:22
Football Stops for a Day

The continental European clubs are in the midst of their winter break – no games in the Premiership today, though most teams play tomorrow. Premier League players spent Christmas morning with their families, and then it was business as usual as they headed off to their respective training facilities to make final preparations for tomorrow.

Footy Factor 2009-12-24 06:37
No Christmas Cheer for Premiership Leader

It’s become something of a tradition in football to make bold pronouncements about where the title is headed based on what the Premier League table looks like on Christmas Day. By that measure, Chelsea have definitely got in the bag, right? Well… actually… not at all.

Footy Factor 2009-12-23 11:07
We Support Garry Cook!

We never thought these words would ever appear on the pages of Footy Factor. The beleagured chief executive of Man City, Garry Cook, is being criticised by those two-faced journalists for speaking with potential replacements for Mark Hughes before Sparky was given the sack. Huh?

Footy Factor 2009-12-22 19:52
Time to replace Captain John Terry?

If a member of Parliament were to take some unsavory character for a behind-the-scenes look at the Houses of Parliament, and charge him £10,000 for the privilege, the public and the media would go berserk. There would be all kinds of enquiries, public damnations and maybe even a suggestion or two of a termination notice.

Footy Factor 2009-12-21 23:22
Manchester City copy Chelsea’s playbook

When word of Mark Hughes' dismissal hit the airwaves following City’s victory over Sunderland, it wasn’t the sacking that had everyone rubbing their eyes. It was the speed in which the Welshman had departed and his successor Roberto Mancini had arrived that had fans and pundits scratching their heads.

Footy Factor 2009-12-21 04:52
Sixteenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

McCarthy takes the mickey. With the majority of football fans (including ourselves) haranguing Mick McCarthy for his unsportsmanlike decision to field a weakened side against Man United last week in preparation for their match against Burnley, it seems McCarthy’s had the last laugh. Wolves’ first team convincingly overcame the Clarets 2-0 putting an end to the recent furor.

Footy Factor 2009-12-18 05:37
Footy Factor’s Best of the Decade: Captain

2010 is on the horizon and it’s safe to say that it’s been a wonderful decade for football. We here at Footy Factor have taken the opportunity to celebrate the greatest teams, players, and matches of the past 10 years. Our next award is... Captain of the Decade.

Footy Factor 2009-12-17 19:22
Twitter Doesn’t Love Manchester United

How do you measure the popularity of a football club? Match attendance isn’t very accurate because different teams have different sized stadiums and only a small percentage of fans can fit into those grounds each week. So is it TV viewership? Is it shirt sales? Fan club membership? Or, most likely, a combination of all these factors? Continue on next page… Maybe we should also add Twitter [...]

Footy Factor 2009-12-16 21:22
Most Hated Men in Football #10

Mick McCarthy – Wolves We regret to inform you that “McCarthyism” is enveloping the English game. Now let’s be clear: this is in no way related to the communist witch-hunt that struck fear and suspicion into American hearts during the 1950s. Instead, this is a philosophy of cowardice and underachievement being perpetuated by a certain enemy [...]

Footy Factor 2009-12-15 19:52
Gold and Sullivan: Born to be Claret and Blue?

It looks like the next Mike Ashley will, figuratively speaking, be the combo of David Gold and David Sullivan. The rumour mill says the Dodgy Davids have had their offer for West Ham accepted by the Icelandic owners.

Footy Factor 2009-12-15 03:37
Tiger Gives a Boost to American Soccer

Tiger Woods’ personal freefall – chronicled and exacerbated by the tabloids – is the stuff of nightmares. We pity his poor wife and children, who are destined to be the losers of this episode, no matter what kind of resolution the Woods family reaches. But excuse our flippancy here, because this scandal couldn’t be any more beneficial to the growth of soccer in the United States. Don’t see the connection? Let us explain…

Footy Factor 2009-12-14 05:07
Fifteenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

City draw days return. In a weird weekend of draws, with 6 out of 10 fixtures resulting in tied scores, it’s no surprise to see Man City get in on the act. While it’s been only a week since City beat Chelsea at the Eastlands, breaking their then record run of 7 straight league draws, [...]

Footy Factor 2009-12-13 20:07
Aston Villa’s 100 and Counting

Aston Villa's historic 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford was the Midlands club 100th away victory in the Premier League. England World Cup hopefuls Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlohar, both not yet born the last time Villa beat United away in the league 26 years ago, combined to score the winner and send Villa fans (and anxious Chelsea observers) into raptures.

Footy Factor 2009-12-11 15:37
Breakout Stars of the Champions League

Now that the dust has settled following the final round of Champions League group matches, all eyes shift to next Friday’s First round knockout stage draw in Nyon. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a moment to celebrate the breakout stars of the Champions League thus far; players, young or old, who’ve used this season’s Group matches to announce their arrival on the European stage.

Footy Factor 2009-12-10 13:24
Be a World Cup Flag Bearer!

Next summer's showpiece kicks off in only 183 days. Our friends over at Sony Ericsson are throwing a fantastic competition for two lucky footy fanatics to become 2010 World Cup Flag Bearers. All you have to do is identify the flag of the day, from one of the competing nations, and you're in it to win it. Competition ends December 19th. (Sorry folks, this one's for UK residents only.)

Footy Factor 2009-12-10 13:24
Footy Factor’s Best of the Decade: Team

Footy Factor 2009-12-08 16:07
Alberto Aquilani: Rafa’s £17 Million Mistake?

When Rafa Benitez splashed out £17 million on Roma sensation Alberto Aquilani, you could fully understand Liverpool supporters’ optimism that their Champions League winning coach had taken their team another giant step closer to winning their first league title in nearly twenty years.

Footy Factor 2009-12-07 12:37
Fourteenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Bad refereeing is ruining the game. Another weekend, another round of poor officiating. Granted Manchester City deserved to beat high-flying Chelsea at the Eastlands, all three goals in the match resulted from incorrect refereeing decisions and that’s just not on. We’re not ones to subscribe to the belief that mistakes make for a more interesting spectacle… something needs to be done quickly.

Footy Factor 2009-12-07 12:37
The Chelsea Curse

Chelsea have been the early season pace-setters, beating Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United on their way to the summit. Up until a week ago many pundits thought the Premiership title was on its way to West London. But things change very quickly in football. Having seen their first shot at silverware fade at Blackburn in mid-week and their third Premiership loss of the season come at Manchester City, Chelsea’s recent defeats add to the theory that Carlo Ancelotti’s side face a far greater adversary than anything Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson could throw onto the pitch: the dreaded kit curse.

Footy Factor 2009-12-04 22:21
World Cup: Win, Lose or DRAW!!

The balls have barely been pulled out of the glass bowls… but we’re already delivering some immediate reaction from today’s star-studded draw in Cape Town for the 2010 World Cup. Sepp Blatter and football fans alike should be very pleased: there are going to be some mouth-watering encounters at next summer’s tournament – England v USA, Brazil v Ivory Coast and Germany v Ghana to name [...]

Footy Factor 2009-12-03 19:22
A Humbling Week For Wenger

Poor Arsene Wenger. In the space of a week, the wily, old voyeur (just kidding) has seen his football philosophy completely crushed. While the likes of Chelsea and more recently Manchester City have thrown millions into the transfer market in an attempt to ‘buy’ silverware and fast-forward their club’s progress, Arsene Wenger has continually professed a more frugal approach – spending within one’s own budget and not relying on billionaire bankrollers. But five years after Arsenal won its last trophy, and with a place in the top four proving more sacred as each season passes, has Wenger’s philosophy run it’s course?

Footy Factor 2009-12-02 16:07
Footy Factor’s Best of the Decade: Hard Man

As we continue our ongoing parade of accolades for the decade’s best players and performances, we reach the award for Best Hard Man. But let’s define the term first. Hard Man doesn’t necessarily mean “dirty” – otherwise Joey Barton and Duncan Ferguson would have run away with this title (and kicked us in the nuts while doing so.) No… Hard Man means you’re tough as nails, in control when you need to be, and able to take whatever you dish out. With that being said, let us continue…

Footy Factor 2009-12-01 18:07
The Footy Factor Matrix: November 2009

November was a thrilling month in the world of football. And in a first for Footy Factor, we’ve summarized all the news worth knowing about during the previous month in one easily digestible guide. Disagree with any of the items we’ve included, or where we’ve located them? Not a problem: send us your feedback!

Footy Factor 2009-11-30 14:52
Thirteenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Arsenal are out of the title race. The visit of Chelsea to the Emirates was supposed to see Arsenal confirmed as genuine title contenders. Instead, their 3-0 thrashing at the hands of their London rivals sees them anchored in 4th place, 11 points behind the first-place Blues. Although Arsene Wenger can be proud of his side who performed admirably in the pouring rain, he'll be concerned at the ease in which a powerful and clinical Chelsea outfit steamrolled his younglings for the second season on the trot.

Footy Factor 2009-11-30 03:06
Drog-beats Arsenal

Didier Drogba’s brace at the Emirates is another reminder of why the Chelsea striker loves to play Arsenal. The Gunners have never beaten Chelsea in a game in which Didier Drogba has played, W0-D3-L8, with the Ivory Coast marskman bagging 10 in 11 matches.

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