Brendan Rodgers – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Verbal Memo | F.A. Cup & more…

This weekend was a vintage one in the F.A. Cup. Giant killings. Upsets. Call them what you want. The small guns came out fighting and crushed the big guns hearts. The Fairy Tale Cup is alive and well.

Brentford, MK Dons, Luton Town, Leeds United and Oldham played a little throwback F.A. Cup football, much to the delight of fans across the football universe. This is exactly what the F.A. Cup needed. An exciting, thrilling weekend peppered with results as shocking as the ending of The Crying Game!

Our verbal memo congratulates the so-called small fry teams and their incredible achievements. We all dissect Brendan Rodgers decision to make Luis Suarez captain of Liverpool in the game against Oldham. And there’s even time for a few quick fire football thoughts at the end.

Kick back. Put your hard working feet up. Grab a brew and enjoy the listen. Feel free to laud or abuse me on Twitter with your thoughts. @soccerdiva.

Soccerdiva | Footy Show | Magic of Cup

Verbal Memo | Robin van Persie & more…

In my weekly memo to fellow football fans there’s a fair bit of passion. Some folks have irked me.

Firstly, Luis Suarez got the football universe all riled up because of his handball in the F.A. Cup against wee Mansfield Town. Suarez certainly had lots of darts thrown at him after his unsportsmanlike action, but are the referees just as guilty as Liverpool’s bad boy?

Robin van Persie is having another phenomenal season. He is a world class player who has elevated Manchester United to impressive heights. The delicious Dutchman has been prolific since joining the Red Devils in the summer. Can Robin van Persie play in any team in the world right now? And should someone at Arsenal pay with their blood for selling him?

Finally, Rio Ferdinand declared he would like to be the first black James Bond. Rio is definitely suave enough to be a special agent for the British government. What if footballer’s were movie genres? From comedy, to musicals, we cast the lot!

Grab a brew and enjoy this week’s verbal memo. Connect with me @soccerdiva if you want to rant about anything. I’m here for you.

Verbal Memo | Robin van Persie & more

A Conversation With…Eoin O’Callaghan

We dive into a pool of football happenings In A Conversation With Eoin O’Callaghan.

The former host of Fox Soccer Report discusses attacking, defending, buying and selling in the Premier League. We look at the exciting debut of Eden Hazard for Chelsea and how Sir Alex Ferguson might regret not signing him for Manchester United. Does Nuri Sahin fit best with Liverpool or Arsenal? Is Andre Villas Boas changing too much too soon at Spurs? Can Everton burst into the top tier of the league like Newcastle United did last season? We dissect all of this and much more from an English football perspective.

There’s even a little time to touch on some Italian madness and in particular the Antonio Conte situation at Juventus and the heartbreak of AC Milan fans as Antonio Cassano defects to the enemy Inter Milan. Grab a tipple of your choice and enjoy the conversation.

A Conversation With…Derek Rae

A Conversation With Derek Rae is pure football poetry. One of football’s finest voices, Derek always paints a beautiful picture through his commentary. Do you know anyone who can marry the famous poet Robert Burns with football?

From Team GB and the Olympics to all things Premier League including Luis Suarez, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Andre Villas Boas, Brendan Rodgers, Manchester City, mid-level clubs and beyond, Derek discusses it all with an honest perspective. There’s even time to talk a wee bit of Rangers!

Football, soccer, call it what you want, it’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

A Conversation With…Andre Villas Boas

There’s no doubt Brendan Rodgers will be under intense scrutiny and pressure when the new season starts. Taking over the managerial reigns at Liverpool and following in the footsteps of legend Kenny Dalglish will definitely be a tough task for the ex-Swansea coach.

However, if there is one man who easily wins the gold medal for “Manager Under the Most Pressure” it has to be Andre Villas Boas. Will we see the man who dazzled the football universe at Porto? Or will we see the AVB who failed miserably at Chelsea? As mentioned earlier this month on this site, I don’t believe lightning will strike twice for Villas Boas, who lived in the shadow of the Special One during his time at Stamford Bridge.

During Spurs tour of the U.S., the new Tottenham coach looked exceptionally relaxed and happy, and so did his team. I was lucky enough to spend some time with him. Enjoy A Conversation With Andre Villas Boas.

Not So Best XI…

It’s easy to compile a Premier League Best XI when you can choose from the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Papiss Cisse, Gareth Bale and Yohan Cabaye.

From Manchester City, to Newcastle, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United, the top half of the Premier League table is dripping with talent and their silky skills make you salivate with delight.

But there are also some talented folks in the bottom half. In fact, this season more than ever, there are some players in the bottom half who wouldn’t be a bad investment for some of the teams at the top. If some scouts took a wee gander at what was going on beneath them, they could save on the travel budget!

Instead of the traditional Best XI, this season, we’ve put together our Not So Best XI. This selection of players make up a team that could perhaps qualify for the Europa League. Or some would argue they could easily get relegated. Chime in and let us know what you think. Better yet, send us your Not So Best XI so we can compare scouting notes!

Goalkeeper = Michel Vorm | Swansea

Manager = Brendan Rodgers | Swansea

Kit Colour = Home | All red | Away | All Black