Zarif Rasul @zarifrasul ?

And so it’s happened. King Kenny has left has his throne for the second – and final – time. After being parachuted in to rescue the side from previously unthinkable lows, Kenny Dalglish has been jettisoned out by the very same men who first sought his fire-fighting services. A legend in the truest sense of the [...]

After firing long-serving manager Mick McCarthy earlier this month, Wolves chairman Steve Morgan has struggled to settle upon a definitive replacement for the straight-talking Yorkshireman. Zarif Rasul wonders whether Wolves could have benefitted from a more defined approach. And so another pair of targets have been locked in the crosshairs. Morgan, spurned by his first choice Alan [...]

A series of early international tournament exits in the last year have placed question marks over the quality of English footballers. Unsurprisingly, the finger of blame has yet again been pointed at the system responsible for developing young players. Zarif Rasul investigates the English youth development system. THE diminutive young Nigerian Olarenwaju Kayode skips down the left-hand [...]

In a little over six weeks’ time, the curtain will rise on the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, ushering in the 28 th edition of the continent’s showpiece international tournament. While the event is an undeniably joyous, vibrant celebration of football in the region, it has steadily evolved into a biennial bugbear among club managers in Europe. [...]

An overreliance upon a single player has been a recurring theme in football throughout the ages. It is an accusation that has been levelled at several Premier League sides, but over the course of the last decade few have been tarred with the ‘one-man team’ tag with greater frequency than Liverpool. Gérard Houllier’s latter years at [...]

Harry Redknapp is a seldom a man who likes to mince his words. Whether it’s expressing admiration for someone else’s player, or providing a flippant appraisal of Darren Bent’s finishing ability, he rarely leaves anything to the imagination. The Europa League, the scourge of domestically-inclined managers across the continent, is another subject which has felt the [...]

Over the last week and a half we witnessed a star-laden Manchester side snatch a dramatic last-gasp victory in the Champions League, and then follow it up by inflicting a crushing defeat at the home of their bitter cross-city neighbours. If one were to illustrate this scenario just four years ago, it would have been almost [...]

AFTER seven games of the season, all three newly-promoted teams find themselves safely nestled in mid-table, with tenth-placed Swansea City sandwiched in between ninth-placed Norwich City and 11 th-placed QPR. It is of course, quite a common occurrence for top tier newcomers, fuelled by early season optimism and momentum, to propel themselves towards the upper reaches of [...]

The FA, the Premier League and the Football League, the three bodies involved in the administration and delivery of youth development, have all pledged to improve existing practices over the last eighteen months. Zarif Rasul looks at the measures which could eventually turn England into world beaters. LAST year, The Premier League, in consultation with the Football [...]

On Tuesday night in the serene surroundings of Canada Water, 12 bloggers (myself included), one Sunday League team and decorated former England international Ray Wilkins descended upon Bacon’s College as part of Nivea’s enterprising ‘ The Great Football Experiment ’ campaign. The event itself comprised a host of engaging activities, including FA coach-led skill sessions, fervently-contested seven-a-side contests, [...]

At roughly five minutes to three on Saturday afternoon, two of the Premier League’s most distinguished players took to the benches at their respective home grounds. For one, the afternoon marked the next step in a careful and cautious recovery programme. For the other, the occasion signalled another reminder of his slide from indispensability. If the [...]

The recent influx of new faces at Liverpool this summer has simultaneously served to reignite optimism amongst the club’s fans and place doubts over the futures of several members of the playing personnel. Among the players rumoured to have the Anfield axe hanging above his head is forgotten man Alberto Aquilani. Aquilani, a marquee signing two [...]

Liverpool will begin their pre-season preparations in just under one week’s time with a friendly against Chinese outfit Guangdong Sunray Cave. The match, which marks Kenny Dalglish’s first non-competitive fixture since returning to the managerial hotseat earlier this year, will provide the Scot and his side with their first opportunity to answer several burning questions. For [...]

You’d think that, with ex-players having played the game professionally for at least ten years, they’d, you know, be able to offer some valuable insight. That they’d be able to aurally aid our understanding of the game. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case. Our TV screens and radio airwaves are plagued by a host of irritating [...]

Reports emanating from the Portuguese media suggest that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will fork out £13.2m to secure the services of Porto’s highly-coveted young manager Andre Villas-Boas. The 33-year-old, who guided the Dragons to a domestic and European treble in his first season as manager of the club, could follow the path taken by compatriot and [...]

Growing speculation suggests that Liverpool will make a move for Arsenal left-back Gaël Clichy later this month. The left-back spot has long been a problematic position for the club, with the immature Emiliano Insua, injury-prone Fabio Aurelio and inadequate Paul Konchesky and Andrea Dossena all failing to make the berth their own since the departure of John [...]

Picture the scene. Liverpool, mounting a realistic Premier League title challenge for the first time in six years, are playing host to Fulham at Anfield, knowing that a win could take them two points clear of league leaders Chelsea. The Reds face the Cottagers well aware of the visitors’ travel-sickness, with Roy Hodgson’s side having picked [...]