Spoiler

They want their Villa back, but what defines Aston Villa-ness?

Not the man affectionately known as the dirty Bluenose b******

Alex McLeish was predictably lampooned as Aston Villa endured their fifth 0-0 draw with a bottom-half rival this season away to bottom club Wigan.

And along with the bland, worn-out cries of “you don’t know what you’re doing” came a chorus that similarly unpopular predecessor Gerard Houllier was once treated to: “we want our Villa [...]

Why Pearce should run from the England job while he still can

England caretakers somehow fare even worse than the full-timers

Most appear to feel that Stuart Pearce isn’t worthy of his opportunity to audition for the England job against Holland on Wednesday, but I prefer to flip the argument around: surely nobody deserves the torment, even for only one game.

The position is after all cursed, and even the few the one who escaped without [...]

Shrewsbury to swat aside Crawley in League Two glamour tie

Crawley to capitulate as the fourth tier is thrust under the spotlight

The Premier League lived up to its grandiose hype for once this weekend, however it’s still invigorating to have a break occasionally, so resist the urge to sneer at Monday’s only televised offering hailing from League Two.

If Sky Sports were as keen to promote their infrequent fourth-tier coverage as the steady stream of big [...]

When Ligue 1 signings go bad (look away Tottenham fans)

Could Eden Hazard follow in Steve Marlet’s unassuming footsteps?

Given the news that new Messi-Ronaldo-and-Joe-Cole all rolled into one Eden Hazard is keen on joining Tottenham, most are applauding the fact that Spurs are now at a level where they can attract such glamorous names. Trust The Spoiler to stiletto stamp all over that bubble with four examples of bright, shiny Ligue 1 talents [...]

The return of the Champions League is less than a week away!

Forget the flowers, spend February 14 with Graeme Souness and co

February 14. An expensive seat at a posh venue, painstakingly but thoughtfully prepared montages and a bit of spine-chilling orchestra music to accompany the dulcet tweet of Howard Webb’s whistle. It can only mean one thing: the return of the Champions League.

That’s right, the scrap for that cup with the Gary Lineker-esque ears resumes [...]

Big call for armchair fans: Milan, Barcelona or Middlesbrough?

Domestic cup delicacies from three nations available to taste tonight

There hasn’t been a bet of the day for a while, so to repay fans of inexpert tipping worldwide, tonight’s feast of football seems like an appropriate time to offer three for the price of one, that price incidentally being nothing.

All prices listed are from bwin, and if you bung all three choices into [...]

Ashley Cole is the only man classy enough to succeed John Terry

Well at least it’ll make it easier for you to scapegoat him come June

If he hadn’t cheated on the apparent greatest living Briton, used hyperbole to show disgust at Arsenal’s stinginess or shot someone with a rifle, would Ashley Cole really be a 20/1 outsider with William Hill to replace John Terry as England captain?

Take all the role model nonsense out of the equation – and why [...]

Timekeeping not the strong point of Santos president

At least he was on time to pick up an award

In life there is the saying that timing is everything.

Some men meet their future wives by catching a glimpse of them in another car while waiting at a red light or buy a lucky scratchcard when in a supermarket queue or get asked if they can graffiti the Facebook offices for a payment in [...]