Football Food For Thought : UK & Ireland Football

Do great players make great managers?

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:17:12 +0000

We can all list the great modern-day managers who were brilliant players but for each of those there's a top gaffer who was an ordinary player or who never played the game at all. Paul Moon looks at those who used other skills and experience to climb the management ladder.

Welsh football to remain in freefall

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:14:30 +0000

Wales-based Paul Moon tells us why the future of Welsh football is bleak and not even the promotion of Cardiff or Swansea to the Premier League can save it.

Tottenham Hotspur: Who's the best partnership up front?

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:52:50 +0000

Few teams in the Premier League have experimented with more partnerships up front than Tottenham Hotspur this season. But which one has yielded the most goals and win ratio, asks Micahel Cox.

Ryan Giggs: The ultimate team man but not the greatest

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:31:27 +0000

Ryan Giggs has been around longer than the Premier League and won just about every club honour up for grabs. But where does he rank alongside the greatest United legends and where was the one area he let others down, asks Paul Moon.

The best defensive partnerships win you trophies

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:09:00 +0000

Paul Moon on some of the best defensive partnerships of yesteryear, the best around right now and the necessary ingredients to form a good one.

Gary Speed: Decent appointment but miracles won't happen overnight

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:21:12 +0000

The response to the appointment of Gary Speed as the new Wales manager up and down the country has been a mixed one though his credentials as a player and a professional are strong ones. But just like his predecessors, he's more than got his work cut out...

Why the goalkeeper rarely becomes the gamekeeper

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:41:43 +0000

The stories of goalkeepers becoming successful managers are far and few between. Strange coincidence or are there deep psychological explanations? Gary Boswell investigates.

Nasri proves that Wenger's long-term strategy works

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 15:04:41 +0000

Arsene Wenger has been criticised for playing a young team in Carling Cups past - but that competition has provided the perfect arena to blood youngster and it's the Premier League that is benefiting now, says Richard Aikman

Same old story as punters enjoy bigger winnings with correct score bets on Betfair

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:48:07 +0000

Wins for Blackburn, Bristol City and Cesena on Wednesday night reward correct score backers on Betfair

The Betfair Contrarian: Why Wayne Rooney will stay at Manchester United

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:17:47 +0000

The footballing world is adamant Wayne Rooney is off and the Betfair market agrees, making him odds-on to leave in Januray. But the Betfair Contrarian is having none of it...

Football Management: Why do they do it?

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:19:19 +0000

Did you really ever expect to see World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto manage Azerbaijan? Jamie Pacheco wonders why former superstars of the game are happy to drop down a few levels to be involved in management...

Gordon Taylor Interview: Pay differences are down to ability

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:07:02 +0000

Ever keen to hear the views of football's big names, betting.betfair sent Paul Moon off to interview PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor to ask him what he made of the Dan Gosling affair, Robinho's exit and salary discrepancies amongst footballers.

Football Agents: Love'em or hate 'em, they're here to stay

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:27:56 +0000

Accused of all sorts of things, from shoddy deals to taking too much money out of the game, the football agent is an important part of modern-day football. Just what is a football agent and who does he go about his business, wonders Paul Moon.

Time to Foster more Great British goalkeeping talent

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:41:14 +0000

Paul Moon's angry again - and it's the state of the country's keepers that's getting him in a lather

Premier League stars are World Cup flops

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:10:29 +0000

Feizal Rahman tries to get to the bottom of why Premier League stars, and not just the English ones, have performed so poorly at this World Cup.