Vanity And A Bit Of Fluff Did For Lord Triesman
by Martin Samuel (Commentary | Daily Mail (UK) - May 17)
Bottom line: if Lord Triesman had been half as clever as he thought he was, he would still be in a job this morning. Sadly, he was never that good. How could he be? more details | go to article

David Beckham's Style Fits Badly With Milan Chic
by Martin Samuel (Commentary | London Times - November 5)
To the exhaustive CV of Fabio Capello, the England manager, can be added another main skill: that of master salesman. For if David Beckham truly was taken on by AC Milan after recommendations from Capello, this is a man who will never be short of career opportunities in the high street if it does not work out for him at the World Cup finals in 2010. more details | go to article

Champions League Reforms Spell Calamity
by Martin Samuel (Analysis | London Times - March 12)
Olympiacos were, by popular consent, the worst team anybody had seen in the last 16 of the Champions League. OK, who knew that the jokes about Barnsley giving Chelsea more of a game than they received from the Greek side would come true? Yet all that Avram Grant's humiliation at Oakwell in the FA Cup on Saturday did was highlight the dismal nature of opponents who are as good as insurmountable in their homeland, yet were lame to the point of embarrassment at Stamford Bridge. more details | go to article