Premier League Consider Champions League Playoff

February 15, 2010 News

In a move that would have far-reaching ramifications for the competitiveness of the league, the Premier League are considering changing the rules of who qualifies for the fourth Champions League spot but having the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh teams compete in a Championship-style play-off.
We have been no fans of fourth place being awarded the [...]

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English Premier League Ratings and Rankings – January 2010

February 14, 2010 Predictions

The FI R&R’s for January have now been calculated and show some considerable movement…
The Football Intelligence Ratings and Rankings takes the top teams in the English Premier League, picks their best eleven in a nominal 4-4-2 formation and rates and ranks the players against each other.

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England’s World Cup Chances Almost Zero

February 12, 2010 Articles

We at FI already had them down as outsiders but with the news that their one, truly world class player Ashley Cole has broken his ankle, England’s chances of winning the World Cup are practically over.
With doubts over form and fitness in almost every position, age or inexperience, England’s most potent weapon will be at [...]

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Portsmouth’s game of musical chairs almost at an end

February 10, 2010 News

When a club has more owners than league wins, it’s probably fair to say that they are in a bad way.  Years of spending above their means have left Porstmouth in a bad way.  They owe money to almost everyone; HMRC, former owners, other clubs, their own players.  Today they will ask for a 28 [...]

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Wenger’s tacit admission that his team isn’t good enough

February 8, 2010 News

It seems that even Arsene Wenger has conceded that the Premier League title is beyond his young team this season.  Or at least, if they stand any chance it will be due to a spectacular double collapse of the two teams who have so comprehensively beaten them this week.
In his post-match interview with the BBC, [...]

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What really happened to John Terry

February 7, 2010 Articles

This guest post by Davey J is a work of fiction.   It is here to entertain and because Dave bugged me for ages to let him write something for FI.

INTERNAL: Casa del Terry
A cabal of a dozen or so highly paid PR advisors jostle and strut around a cavernous room containing two snooker tables, a [...]

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Footballers are Role Models

February 3, 2010 News

Of all the arguments defending John Terry surely the most fallacious is that footballers are not role models.
The argument goes that footballers, with their astonishing wages, questionable on- and off-field behaviour have lost the mantle of role model. That because they are not good enough to be role models, they aren’t.
Because of [...]

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January 30, 2010 – Prediction Results

January 30, 2010 Predictions

Let’s see how Football Intelligence did with our Saturday predictions…

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What John Terry Should Do Now

January 29, 2010 News

As you read this article, scores of PR professionals and agents are working overtime trying to salvage what is left of John Terry’s reputation.  Now that the injunction which had kept his indiscretions secret has rightly been lifted, the whole world including his wife and his “mate” can see the sort of person he is.
But [...]

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Burnley v Chelsea, 5:30pm, January 30, 2010

January 29, 2010 Predictions

Burney play Chelsea at Turf Moor ,30 January 2010, 5:30pm.
Burney end a run of five away games with the visit of Chelsea and will hope that they don’t add to their sole home defeat.  The crowd will be willing but no Premier League wins in eleven will have taken their toll.
Chelsea are in great form, [...]

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Wigan Athletic v Everton, 3pm, January 30, 2010

January 29, 2010 Predictions

Wigan Athletic play Everton at the DW Stadium, 30 January 2010, 3pm.
Everton are in good form without winning away since the start of November (against West Ham).  Wigan are all over the place, capable of great results and shockingly bad ones.  Most notably is their propensity for falling to pieces against the best teams, however [...]

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