Graphic: Manchester United's best defence

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The chart above details how well each of Manchester United's key defenders perform as part of a three-man unit.  These units - goalkeeper plus two centre-backs - were tracked for minutes played together, goals conceded and goals scored over the season so far.

Should a player be farther right on the X-axis, United scores goals more regularly (per 90 minutes) while he is on the

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Short Pitch: Lessons from World Series Cricket

The following excerpt is taken from page 81 of Gideon Haigh's wonderful book The Cricket War, and describes the Australian tour to England in 1977.

Generational problems in the team had been some time coming... nine players [in the back row of the team photograph] had a combined eighteen Tests between them.  Among the team's nominal seniors ... only the captain and vice-captain Chappell and

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Soccer in the snow: should USMNT's victory count?

On Friday, the US Men's National Soccer team defeated Costa Rica in a crucial W0rld Cup Qualifying encounter.

The match was played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, in Denver - the famed "Mile High" city - and amid torrents of snow.

The final result was 1-0 to the home team, who were spurred on by an excellent performance from in-form goalkeeper Brad Guzan, and an opportunist's goal from Spurs

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Graphic: EPL best buys of 2012-13

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The above chart hints at just how much English Premier League clubs are prepared to pay for good attackers.  Any forward (ie. wingers and strikers) who arrived at an English club during the Summer transfer window of 2012 has been included and the cost of his acquisition plotted against the number of goals for which he has been directly responsible.



When transfer fees were

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Villa's Benteke the Premier League's key man

Christian Benteke might be the most important player in the
English Premiership. 



The forward's strengths (especially physically) by
far outweigh any weaknesses: the deadline-day
signing from Genk is fast, accurate, remarkably powerful and has an
incredible happy knack of finding space in the box. 



Any questions as to Aston
Villa manager Paul Lambert starting “his man” over the

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The Arsenal debate: Vermaelen, Koscielny or Mertesacker?

That Arsenal
won in Munich on Wednesday is no real surprise: it has been a recent disturbing
tendency of the Gooners to perform valiantly in causes already cast unto the
wind. 



However, the Highbury/Emirati gallantry has
provided pundits on the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast with more ammunition
for the argument that the North Londoners’ best central defensive partnership
doesn’t

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Moyes all set to continue at Everton

With Everton’s
demise at the hands of Wigan in their FA Cup Quarter Final, the future of
David Moyes has been cast into doubt. 
During his long and successful tenure at Goodison Park, the Scot has
been lauded as an exemplary manager who consistently compelled teams to
overachieve in spite of a modest budget.



However, this success has been juxtaposed against a stark lack
of results when it

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Redknapp's fearless Queens Park Rangers

Despite a
weekend win at Southampton, QPR have taken up residence Struggle street and
there doesn’t seem to be an exit for miles. 




Though they’ve entered perhaps the easiest portion
of their schedule all season, the Rs remain tied firmly to the bottom of
the English Premier League table.   Escape is – at best – improbable.  Common wisdom suggests that a club needs 40
points to dodge

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Benítez and Chelsea: the inevitable breakup

The Rafael Benítez experiment at Chelsea has quickly and predictably moved into an endgame as inevitable as it will be tedious.  The Spaniard will depart Stamford Bridge at the end of the season –perhaps much, much sooner – after presiding over half a season of rebellious players, fractious fan groups and disappointing English Premier League season.



In a curious press conference after win at

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