Strikers lighting up the Bundesliga

Modeste was the youngest member of the squad at 2

The Bundesliga has been a top league for goals and excitement for years and this season is no exception.

Thrills and spills aplenty abound in most games and I pull together some of the hotshots currently knocking them in.

1. Anthony Modeste - not to blow my own trumpet here but I have already posted about this guy recently. He is having an amazing season and is atop the scoring charts with 12 for FC Cologne. Hopefully he can carry on his free scoring antics for the rest of the season but he can sometimes dry up over the xmas period.

2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - fans of the German footballs top flight will not be surprised to see this player mentioned. He has been banging the goals in for a few seasons now and is another one who has 12 to his name. I really like this guy as he has it all - movement, finishing, pace and power. His lethal shooting is one of the reasons Dortmund do so well.

3. Yunus Malli - this guy is an integral part of the FV Mainz team and his silky skills have netted him 6 goals to date. He is a player that not a lot is known about but he is firing Mainz to a good showing in the Bundesliga so far. Malli is more of an attacking midfielder and his creativity & goals from midfield are vital to his club and country.

Superman!

4. Vedad Ibisevic - he is an ace marksman for Hertha Berlin and has notched an impressive 6 goals so far. Hertha have struggled for goals in the past but he has really come to the fore this campaign. He is a Bosnian international and had previously played for Stuttgart before joining Hertha. He is known for his combative style and lethal finishing. See this link for more Ibisevic goals .

Keep an eye on these guys for more goals and action over the coming weeks.

Fall of the Leicester empire?!

Suits you sir, no suits you sir

Just what has happened to poor old Leicester so far this season in the Premier League? So dominant and strong last year (well they did win it), they languish in 14th place currently with only 3 wins in 12 games.

What is even stranger is that their form in the Champions League is pretty good. This has led to calls from Claudio Ranieri, their manager, to bring that form back to the league with them.

I think there's three main things at play here:

1. Distraction of European football - last year they only had the Premier League to focus on which made them fresher than their rivals mentally and physically. This year the Champions League adventure has had the opposite effect I think. This is quite common when teams go into Europe - it happened to my beloved Everton too recently.

2. Teams working them out - I think last year they had that element of surprise in terms of how they set up and also fielding unheard of players that other teams hadn't played against before. By the time people had got to grips with them they were virtually unstoppable. This year however, everyone knows about Mahrez, Vardy, Drinkwater etc... and how to set up to nullify their threat.

3. Players out of form - this is as simple as it sounds. Where as last year they had all their main players playing at top form most of the season, this year there's a lot of them badly out of form. Look at Vardy - everything he touched went in last season but this season he can't get it going.

Well I prefer a blue coloured cast!!!!

One thing's for sure - old Claudio has got his work cut out to turn it round before it gets too late. Relegation seems a fanciful proposition considering their form last season but who knows in football?!

Ronaldo at Real Madrid - still a winger?

Ronaldo was apprehensive about his new gold covered boots

I read a great article from the wonderful Terry Gibson over at Sky recently (Ronaldo Madrids Striker? ) and it got me thinking. And no, it wasn't I wonder if he could say whether Fash was really as crazy as he seems in real life.

The main thrust of Gibson's article is that Ronaldo and Madrid in fact, had their best game for a while when he played as Centre Forward in the last outing.


For anyone who didn't catch it, they played their old rivals Atletico Madrid in a local derby and ran out handsome 0-3 winners. Our perma tanned friend Cristiano played a blinder, netting all three goals in the romp and looking like a natural born forward. Traditionally, he has been winger all his career but it seems that maybe this could change under Zidane at Los Blancos.

I actually think it's a good call from Gibson - as he notes in his article, Ronaldo is a great finisher and has the movement to play up front. Allied with his natural pace and guile, it could really work out for him in that position as it did last game.

We must also remember that it's not unheard of for him to play there before as well. If my memory serves me well, ole Whiskey Nose (Alex Ferguson) at Manchester Utd tried it with good effect in the English Premier League years ago.

I think it could really help Madrid get back to their best and start playing with style again.

Is that Marco Matterazzi over there? I'm over it bruv

European Football Heroes - #3 Gennaro Gattuso

Outside now!

In my semi-regular series on European football heroes, we are up to number 3. Welcome onboard one Gennaro 'Rino' Gattuso.

If you need to know one thing that sums Gattuso up as man and player , it's his nickname 'The Pitbull'. As this suggests he was a combative, ruthless winner with an almost pathological desire to win. Opponents knew if they were up against him it would not be an easy game and they would have to be at their very best to win. His energy, aggression and leadership were legendary.

His main position was as a defensive midfielder where he would break up play and protect the defence, enabling the front players to work their magic. He started off at the Serie A clubs Perugia and Salerintana before moving to  Rangers.

Although at the time it seemed a strange move to go from Italy to Scotland, it in fact turned out really well for Gattuso. He became a firm favourite at the Scottish club where his style suited the style of play and fans expectations.

His stage whispering could do with some work

It was his next move that really made him a star and Italian hero though. He left Rangers for AC Milan and was a key player for the club in his time there. The honours he won tell it all - champions leagues, serie a titles and copa italia trophies. His partnership with Andrea Pirlo for club and country was a joy to behold. He scrapped for the ball and then gave it Pirlo to work his magic with.

Since retiring from playing he made the natural move into management. He is now with Pisa where his desire and passion are there for all to see.

Check this link for more Pitbull action: Go on Rino

Leipzig in the Bundesliga - whats happening?!

The major news in the Bundesliga at the moment is the amazing first season Leipzig are having to date. German football has rarely seen such a success story from a newly promoted team.

When you look at the stats, it's pretty impressive. Six wins on the bounce and with no losses at the moment , it's all good in Saxony. They are even ahead of the mighty Bayern Munich which is no mean feat.

As seems to the case with the most successful teams recently, their game is based on devastating counter attacks and hard work. You can tell they have a great team spirit and are willing to run that extra mile for each other.

Is it a rabbit?

The main man seems to be the Swede, Emil Forsberg. He's sitting on five goals and five assists so far this season and is the one who creates the most for them.

Ralph Hasenhüttl is the manager behind this team and he must take a great amount of credit. Not only for the way they play and success but also his flexibility in tactics and affecting games from the bench.

I for one hope it continues as it's refreshing to see a different team than the usual suspects atop the Bundesliga.

Check out this link for more in depth analysis of their rise Ten reasons Leipzig are mint

Juventus whizz kid makes Serie A history

mmmmmm pies

Moise Kean - remember that name. It is hoped that Juventus fans will have reason to in years to come as he is a bright hope for the Turin club. Football rests on the emergence of raw, young talent to excite fans and he looks no exception.

Kean made Serie A history as the first player to be born in the year 2000 or after to play in Italy's top flight. He made his appearance as a 16 year old substitute when Juventus played Pescara. Juve had already got the game sown up by then at 3-0 due to goals by Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic and Hernanes.

The Michelin Man enjoyed his new profession
 

It is thought that Kean is being lined up as an eventual successor to our pie loving friend, Gonzalo Higuain. While Kean has the skill and talent , his inability to eat ten frey bentos in one sitting leaves him in Higuain's shadow for now.

There are a lot of other top teams in Europe such as Arsenal in the English Premier League that are interested in the young starlet however. In light of this, Juventus may have trouble holding onto him.

Betis sack Poyet

Poyet reacted well to news of his sacking

After only four months in charge of Real Betis in La Liga, the hapless Gus Poyet has been sacked.

La verderones had taken only 11 points in 11 games under Poyet which had left his position shaky. The axe could not be avoided though and he has been replaced by Victor Sanchez del Amo.

Del Amo will take over a team low on confidence but with plenty of time and talent to rescue the season. Top priority for him though must be shoring up a leaky defence that has been shipping goals.

The news will surely please the group of Betis fans who has refused to attend games until Poyet was removed. While a little strong you could see their point although it may be felt Poyet should have had more time to turn it round himself.

It soon became apparent they had let the women choose the new boss

Thiago Motta considers PSG future

The loss of his left eye made it hard to carry on playing

Paris Saint Germain midfield stalwart Thiago Motta has confirmed that this may well be his final season for the club.

He was close to leaving recently over a wage dispute but it looks like the curtain may finally fall on his career in Paris. Reports from Italy suggest that he is considering moving to play in an emerging league (maybe Scotland ha ha) or even into the world of coaching.

He would be a big loss to PSG as he has been a big player for them over the years and helped them become a major European force again. Having said that it's probably the right time for both club and played considering his age. Even the best can't go on forever and PSG need to get a replacement in eventually. The names being mentioned are Rabiot or Verratti but I'm not sure they are the same type of player to step in.

I would go for Isco myself or for the brave, Joey Barton is now a free agent ha ha

Isco is a top player and could well fill the Motta void
 

Rennes odds on to win at weekend

Good for indigestion too

Rennes are going alright in Ligue 1 again this season so far and I fancy them to carry on that against Angers at the weekend.

It's worth bearing in mind that last time out they got hammered 4-0 but it was away to PSG so not unexpected. With Angers lingering in 10th place, I think they'll bounce back from that this weekend.

The major factor in their favour is playing at home where their form is pretty darn good. Gourcuff's side love playing in front of their own fans and always put in a performance for them. You also have to remember that Angers away form is appalling so I can't see any other result really.

Good mannequin work boys

I really like Rennes as a team and think in Gourcuff they have a talented manager at the helm. It may be the biggest challenge for them is hanging onto him as the likes of PSG, Barcelona or Juventus look to lure him away.

One thing's for sure it looks set to be another exciting season in France!

Lazio deny Morrison AWOL rumours

Recent reports coming out of Rome had suggested that the never dull Ravel Morrison had gone AWOL on his club, Lazio. This was to the surprise of precisely one old age pensioner in Crawley as everyone else knew his history of bad behavior.

Lazio have now acted quickly to deny this though and confirm he is still in England with their permission to sort out personal problems. Call me cynical but this sounds like the club desperately trying to cover up what's gone on really behind the scenes. I'm sure the welcome when he finally returns won't be too warm.

The player liason at Lazio could be improved somewhat

Mind you, this might not matter as news in England suggests that Premier League team Hull are interested in signing Morrison in January. This may well represent a welcome escape route for all parties involved.

To be honest, it's a shame if it doesn't work out as I think more English players playing abroad is good for the national team. I can't say it entirely surprised me though when you look back at his record of scrapes with former clubs. If a top manager like Sir Alex Ferguson can't handle you, then who can?

England chuck it away against Spain

and this was Southgate's reaction in the dressing room afterwards:

bugger, we just threw away a two goal lead in the dying minutes

all together now: I don't believe it!


p.s if you have never watched the fantastic show 'One Foot in the Grave' this will make little or no sense sorry

European Football Hero's #2 - Roy Keane

This IS my happy face

Do I really even need to write anything here? The man, the legend that is Roy Keane speaks for himself. No, literally he does - Google him and you will find a whole host of quotes & interviews from the man that are pure gold.

Funny enough when I was growing up and he was in his prime for the all conquering Manchester Utd team, I didn't like him that much. But since then I have come to love him and when you look back at his career he truly deserves legend status.


Keane started out playing football in Ireland before Brian Clough spotted his huge potential when Nottingham Forest manager. He brought Keane over to English football for Forest and he was a success. Early on people could see the powerful, combative style and leadership qualities that would become his hallmark.

Then Manchester Utd and Alex Ferguson came calling and so began one of the most successful & compelling partnerships in modern football history. Keane and Utd (well Ferguson as manager) seemed to fit perfectly - he soon became captain and was the heartbeat of those great Utd teams that won so much. If one game summed him up, it's the famous Champions League semi-final in 1999 against Juventus away.

Utd were floundering badly in that game and had soon gone 2-0 down. Lesser teams would have folded and indeed Utd might have if not for their captain. Keane however simply refused to accept defeat and turned in a flawless display to drag his team back into it, almost on his own. Keane rose to the challenge, Utd came back to win 2-3 and history was made.

Keane's record as a winner and what he achieved as a player mean he has to be considered a legend of European football.

However, it's not just about what he did as a player on the pitch that has elevated him to mythical status amongst his fans. His complex, fiery personality and readiness to speak his mind have endeared him to people almost as much as his trophies.

In respect of that I offer my two favourite Roy Keane stories ever:

1. Viera incident in Highbury tunnel - in a nutshell the story goes that Viera was trying to bully Gary Neville in the Higbury tunnel before an Arsenal - Utd game. Keane came out of the dressing room, saw what was going on and went mental. Check out this link I'll see you out there for the full story.

2. Saipan - this is amazing as he does what anyone who has ever had a rubbish manager would love to. Roy had joined up with the Ireland team ahead of the 2002 World Cup but wasn't happy with the standard of arrangements and let slip to a journalist. The Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, saw this in the paper and thought it would be a good idea to confront Keane about it in a team meeting in front of everyone. Bad move Mick! What followed is the most hilarious, brutal character smack down ever as Keane rips McCarthy to shreds and storms off home.

It's fair to say Roy wasn't that impressed with Mick's advice

Barton leaves Rangers

It's finally happened and can anyone say they're surprised really? The sorry saga of Joey Barton and Rangers always had an inevitable end once the red mist had descended in that training ground bust up.

Reports confirm that he has had his contract terminated with immediate effect and by mutual consent yesterday. My personal opinion is that it's shorthand for Rangers wanting rid of a divisive character asap and the player wanting to go also.

What do you mean this photo will look stupid if it all goes wrong?!
 

It had actually been looking promising quite recently as previous talks between the player & club went well (seemingly). He had been allowed back into training and was working on his fitness with a view to breaking back into the first team. Reports from Scotland suggest that it wasn't quite as rosy as that though. Although he was back training, it was with the under 20's which was never going to sit well with such a proud, experienced professional.

Barton had only lasted one day doing this before being signed off by his doctor with stress which then has triggered this latest development. I would say it seems Rangers set him up to fail by making him train with the kids - they knew he wouldn't do it and when he wouldn't, it gave them their excuse to drop the axe.

So where next for Joey Barton? Football is a kind mistress if you're a good player so he won't be short of offers. My feeling is he will end up back at Burnley with the manager who seemed to understand him most or Sunderland who need a lift to beat the drop.

                 In hindsight, Halliday regretted the decision to confront Barton
during training

Modeste happy at Koln

It is the start of Karneval season in Cologne, but that is not the only reason why the city is celebrating.

 

Fired by the 11 goals of the German top flight's joint-leading marksman Anthony Modeste, Koln have made a flying start to the 2016/17 campaign and currently occupy sixth place in the Bundesliga standings
                                     

Ja Heinz I have scored ze goal

The striker has been in amazing form for his club of late and his goals are one of the main reasons they are where they are. If he keeps it up then they should be favourites to stay in and around sixth overall come the end of the season.

There have however been question marks around his winter form when he can sometimes go on a barren run goalwise. So I guess the challenge now is to make this season different and keep the goals flowing all the way through the campaign.

Judging from his form it seems obvious he's happy with where he's playing and his teammates which is always nice to see. They seem to be a close knit group with a great spirit among them and that counts a lot to having a good season.

Next up is a big derby game so we'll see if he carries on as he has been doing or I've jinxed him!

Don't you think you're a bit old to be wearing your hat backwards?

Macsherano key to Barcelona?

Javier still wasn't sure about Messi's new hairdo

One of the key points to come out of the news around Barca was the importance of Javier Mascherano to the team. Terry Gibson has commented as such in his Sky roundup and I would tend to agree. To be honest I think that's been the case for a while - he allows the others like Messi to play knowing he's behind them to mop up if they lose it.

The particular relevance as pointed out by Gibson right now is that, due to a formation change, he becomes even more essential. It looks as though the Blaugrana have gone 4-4-2 recently which has meant that the other defensive bedrock of the team, Sergio Busquets, hasn't been as reliable. 2 in the middle rather than 3 means he has more ground to cover which isn't his strong suit.

It remains to be seen whether Luis Enrique carries on with this formation or reverts back to a 5 man midfield, meaning Busquets would have two other people to do his running again. It's either that or get him a Segueway.

Mascherano is definitely one of the main players for them though so here's hoping he stays fit and stays in form.

Busquets struggled to contain the break from midfield

Ligue 1 news roundup

Bit of a shock in Ligue 1 from the last batch of games as leaders Nice lost. They suffered a 0-1 away defeat to lowly Caen to leave them just three points in front of their rivals. Favre's side dominated the play but were crushed by an Ivan Santini penalty for Caen. Wouldn't have picked that to be honest but football's a funny old game.

PSG romped to a 4-0 win against Rennes so no such problems for them. Emery's side are looking pretty decent and seem to have come to terms with life post Zlatan. Cavani has taken up that mantle and while not as good (or funny) will score for them all season.

Monaco racked up a fine 6-0 win against the hapless Nancy so keep their title challenge on course. I fully expect them to fade away somewhat though come the end of the campaign. But at the moment they're going well and scoring for fun.

Crewe looked strangely different once the sun came out

De Boer out; Pioli in for Inter

In news from Serie A, Stefano Pioli has been confirmed as the new coach at Inter Milan. I Nerazzuri had fired previous coach Frank De Boer who only had the briefest of chances to taste success there. To be fair Inter have started pretty badly, sitting a lowly ninth in the league table and bottom of their Europa League group so De Boer can't complain too much.



De Boer watched helplessly from the touchline as the ball blew up

So what of the new man in charge? People familiar with Serie A will no doubt recognize the name, as he previously coached an array of Italian clubs including Parma, Sassuolo, Bologna and Lazio. He even led the latter to third place in 2015, before being fired in the middle of last season.

On paper he looks a good appointment I think although he has got the hardest start he could wish for with a local derby against AC Milan first up. I like him as a coach though and if you look at his track record it holds up well. He's been described as having the calmness and personality of Ancelotti which is high praise indeed. Time will tell.

Superglue in the pockets again, you're so funny

OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERTON AT THE WEEKEND?!!



Come on granddad Barry, time for your cocoa

I watched the game on BTSport and as an advert for the Premier League it was fantastic. But as an Everton fan it was shameful - I ran out of cushions to hide behind in the end. To be fair, Chelsea were good but by god, we made it easy for them.

There was no pressing of the player in possession, no tracking of runners, no aggression and no will to win. Although the yellow away kit was very fetching. It looked to me like time has caught up with a few like Jagielka, Barry and Williams. Victor Meldrew showed more energy when he was collecting the crisp packets out of his garden than those lot.

3 at the back against the best attack in the league, I don't believe it!
 

Unsung European Heroes #1 - Patrice Loko

The French managers new training methods confused Loko somewhat
 

As part of this blog I aim to have a regular series of unsung heroes of european football - the guys who were cult figures to many but not the superstars everyone else knew about.

Step forward one, Patrice Loko. The reason I have included him is that when I was growing up he seemed to my friends and I an almost tragi-comic figure. To be fair to him this is probably totally incorrect but we were young. I just remember in a lot of games him being really unlucky in terms of missing chances and general play. He always seemed to hit the post when he was odds on to score or fall over his own feet when running through on goal.

And what about the hair?! I remember him having a really gelled up spiky do at one point and like mini sort of dreadlocks another time that just made him stand out. Which was a shame cos when he had some twist of fortune you would instantly know it was him.

The abiding memory I have is of playing Sensible World of Soccer with my mates and us always buying him so we could laugh at the hapless Loko when he missed another chance.

Sorry Patrice - I would encourage you to look up his stats cos actually he was pretty good but he was my hero for the above reasons.

Joey Barton returns to the fold

I know I promised the delights of Italy, France etc... so my first real post being about Scotland is a bit of a departure. But can there be a less riveting story across Europe at the moment than the Joey Barton/Rangers saga?

Don't worry, coming to Rangers will work out fine

Reports in recently indicate that the player has finally been allowed to return to the club & training, following weeks of being banned. Unconfirmed reports however suggest that he is not training with the first team but the reserves which don't make it quite the comeback it sounds.

To be honest I like Joey Barton so hope it works out for him - I think in an age of PR friendly robots, he at least is his own man and says what he thinks. Still not sure about his French accent though!

The one massive mystery over this whole affair for me is - what exactly was said during the original training ground bust up with his manager & Andy Halliday? There's training ground rows every single day in most clubs and the language will always be fairly industrial so to be sent away for so long for what is described as a 'training ground bust up' makes you wonder. Would love to know but I think it's something that will never come out. Maybe he said he thought Burns was overrated as a poet and Kenny Dalglish played like his nan?!

Dalglish bemused the opposition with his pace and nose hair
 

Welcome to European Football Daily

Hello to everyone!

You have found the latest and greatest blog for all the hottest European football stories and gossip. I aim to bring you regular updates on what is happening across all the major European leagues, from Serie A to the Premier League taking in Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and Primera Division along the way.

It won't be all boring match reports and news lifted from other sites - instead I will bring you the funny, interesting side of the game with my own particular take on it.

To end this first post, I will leave with the below pic of a great of European football - the Pitbull, Gennaro Gattuso. Legend.

Gattuso was excited to hear about my new blog