Dangerous Tackling? Blame The FA.

By Shane Thomas

Regular readers of this blog (all two of them) will know that one of my biggest bugbears in football is dangerous tackling. Even more infuriating is seeing such conduct go unpunished. So like many in football, the FA's decision not to take retrospective action against Wigan's Callum McManaman for his egregious challenge on Newcastle's Massadio Haidara left me disgusted.

The Diary Of A Pessimistic Arsenal Fan - Theo And The Newly Found End Product

By Shane Thomas

It's been a while since Arsenal have been the major football story that didn't lead with the words "crisis", "transfer window" or "spending", often accompanied by the words "lack of". However, Theo Walcott's coruscating hat-trick against Newcastle not only sent the Gunners up to 5th in the Premier League table, it also brought the topic of his contract status into sharp focus.

Trading Places

By Shane Thomas

There has been a very evident aspect to this past football season. European football's major powers, the teams that you would expect to win their respective league titles, the ones who you would regard as bankers for your betting accumulators, had by their standards, a fallow season.

The 2011/12 Premier League Club Review

By Shane Thomas


One of the most common misnomers in sport is the word "great". Greatness is often ascribed to a sporting event or occasion when what one means to say is "eventful" or "dramatic".

There's no doubt that this past Premier League season was chock-full of excitement and drama, but great is was not. Greatness comes from a high standard of excellence. So while this season wasn't the greatest (that probably goes to either the 1998/99 or 2007/08 season), the past nine months were arguably the most dramatic seen on these shores. In the order of where each club finished in the league table, let's go through the clubs:

Premier League Pacesetters Under Fire From Their Rivals

By Shane Thomas


As another Premier League weekend draws to a close, Tottenham Hotspur - who looked safely ensconced in third place, and with an eye on the two Manchester clubs - have hit a wall in terms of results. Zero points from the last nine, with Arsenal's late win against Newcastle meaning that they only hold a one point gap over their bitter neighbours on the red side of North London.

The Diary Of A Pessimistic Arsenal Fan - The Sins Of The Father

By Shane Thomas

It's a week like the most recent one that go a way towards explaining why I'm such a pessimistic Arsenal fan. 7 days ago, Arsenal had won three straight games, scoring eight goals, conceding none. They were up to 2nd in the Premier League and into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup. What could go wrong?