Has something occurred at Fiorentina? 6th last season, qualified for Europe, and they have failed to win any of their first 14 league games?

Pep Guardiola about to get Xabi Alonso the Liverpool managers job. This does feel like a 'pieces falling into place' situation. I'd missed this, others probably haven't - Alonso's contract at Leverkusen stipulated that he would be free to talk to any of the clubs he had previously played for, plus ...

Rob Edwards leaving Middlesbrough for Wolves has got to rank as one of the most stupid managerial career decisions of all time.

Harry Kane comes on as a 61st minute sub and scores a hat-trick They've only dropped 2 points so far this season. Reckon they could get the most points ever in the Bundesliga this season. Makes up for 'only' two goals in his last five league games. He's got 17 goals in 13 league games now this seas...

Suggestion that Gerrard or Heitinga are being lined up as an interim/caretaker if Slot gets the elbow. All rather pointless though if any “issues” are elsewhere. Depends if the issue is Slot. In general though I don't think 'player power' is good for a club. Beginning to feel though that somehow - ...

Maybe a little bit of a false position for Millwall in the Championship? Ten wins this season, but eight of them by a single goal. They manage to be third in the table and yet with a negative goal difference, having lost 4-0 twice and 3-0 once.

General fixture question - does anyone know why there is always a club that someone plays twice in a few weeks, around Xmas? For Villa, it's Arsenal, who they play twice in December. Liverpool host Leeds on New Years' Day having played them yesterday. Surely the fixtures could be run in broadly the ...

Villa look very strong. Didn't win any of their first five, and have won nine out of ten since. In fact that defeat at Anfield looks like an aberration now. Fixture computer not kind to them - they go to Chelsea and then Arsenal over four days after Xmas. Could be top of the league at the turn of th...

Mentioned before, but it is intensely satisfying that Ipswich Town (7th) are the only team in the top half of the Championship getting parachute payments. And with the money of Birmingham and Wrexham only 8th and 10th. None of the current top six have been in the top flight in the last seven seasons.

Given the historic strength of South American sides in the World Cup, FIFA have done CONMEBOL a proper dirty in insisting that 2030 counts for their 'turn'. CONMEBOL has had one World Cup since 1978. At least the Women's World Cup is in Brazil in 2027.

draw being done today Bigger tournament, and eight third-placed teams from the groups making the knockout stages, has reduced interest in the draw and jeopardy of the group stages. Possible, depending on playoff results, that we could see a group of Argentina, Morocco, Norway and Italy. But broadly...

Whore Jackie What happened to the home supporter in the disabled section who abused Semenyo?

Man is on bail having been arrested in August, no charges yet. He's got a nationwide stadium ban, as part of his bail conditions, he can't go within a mile of a football stadium.

Van Nisteolrooy's numbers shout 'Leicester getting thrashed'. Third of the time in one corner of his technical area, another third slumped on the bench.

Actual title race alert in Ligue 1. PSG lost at Monaco and Marseille could only draw with Toulouse. Allowed Lens to go top of the table with a 3-0 home win over Nantes. They've won the league just once in their history, in 1997/98. Runners-up three years ago.

Dirk Gently Bad taste, but I found it genuinely funny.

Yeah I mean, the guy ran over kids, so.

Yes. Peter Schmeichel's son is 39 years old and has played over 900 career games.

1st Vs 2nd in the Champ last night. Cov went away to Middlesbrough and put 4 past them. Lampard is doing an amazing job there. Fair play. 19 more goals than the next highest scorers in the Champ. That's crazy in such a competitive league. Hope they can keep it going. Currently on track for 108 poin...

Crikey, this is getting serious. Quite. How they put together that 1-0 win over Madrid is as much a mystery as their poor form. Guardian has it spot on - when Van Dijk is on form you don't notice him. Soaks up attackers like a sponge, calm, wins the ball, lays it off, strolls around like a cyborg. ...

Excellent 2nd half from Arsenal, totally dominant. Where the hell was Harry Kane playing? Very odd. Didn't watch the game but was he deeper, almost a No.8, again? He's been effective in a slightly deeper role, but Bayern are getting a bit overexcited about this and it is blunting his effectiveness ...

Red card all day. Come on now. You don't raise your hands.

Relatedly, the decision to suspend two of Cristiano Ronaldo's three-game suspension, allowing him to play Portugal's opening game at the World Cup, absolutely stinks. It's just corruption.