Mark Cruise
markcruise
Irishman living in England. Followed soccer since birth. Primarily Shamrock Rovers FC and Tottenham Hotspur. I like football played the right way - I like clubs run the right way - developing talent, managing finances, good coaching and good tactics. Been a player and a coach through my life. I hate the bureacracy and corruption of large organisations, while still loving the World Cup and the Champions League. Go figure.
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Are All Clubs “Selling Clubs”?
Following the sale of Jack Rodwell from Everton to Manchester City, City manager Roberto Mancini commented that Rodwell would now be playing for a team who “plays to win.” Some offense was taken as Everton are a fiercely competitive side, and it’s generally regarded as bad form for a moneybags club to make derogatory comments [...]
TweetTime to Give Giovani Dos Santos Another Try?
Like most football fans, when I watch international football tournaments or Champions League games, I like looking at players from other countries or teams and ‘scouting’ them. I’ll watch them a few times and think “yeah, he could be the just the player we need—I think he’d fit in really well”. If only I was [...]
TweetWill Portsmouth FC Still Exist Next Week?
Of late, Portsmouth Football Club—currently languishing in the 3rd tier of England’s professional leagues—seem to be constantly on the edge of going out of existence. Their latest seemingly fatal blow occurred on August 14th, when former owner Balram Chanai decided against buying the club out of administration. Before that, on August 10th, liquidation was only avoided when high-earning Tal [...]
TweetPremier League Transfer Madness In Full Flow
With less than a week to go before the start of the English Premier League, the usual summer transfer madness is in full flow. Despite changing their management personnel, Liverpool still seem intent on over-paying for British talent. Joe Allen is undoubtedly a promising player, and Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers has a history of getting [...]
TweetLuka Modric: Different Season, Same Story
It all seemed done and dusted a few weeks ago, yet now for the second year running it looks like Luka Modric will start the football season with his immediate future unknown. This time last year, Modric pushed for a move, and was surprised to find the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy refusing to sell him—even [...]
TweetIs Luka Modric Really Worth the Trouble?
As I write, Luka Modric is involved in a tug-of-war between Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid. He cost Spurs approx £16.5m in 2008. Since then, he’s been at the heart of all that they have achieved (or nearly achieved). Spurs turned down a rumoured £40m bid from Chelsea last year, but if the rumour mill [...]
TweetTeam Great Britain: Time For a Change?
So, England (well, Britain, but England pretty much) have bombed out of another football tournament (albeit the half-assed mess of a tournament that was London 2012) earlier than they should have—in both the men’s and women’s events. In the wave of euphoria sweeping Britain, they seem to have escaped being put under the microscope to [...]
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