Blackburn Rovers: perpetual turmoil

One can hardly blame Blackburn Rovers fans for growing very, very tired with the shambles that their once proud club has become under the ownership of Indian poultry conglomerate Venky's. There's hardly any need to rehash everything that has happened at Ewood Park over the last couple of seasons in the greatest of detail at this point, such as the mysterious sacking of Sam Allardyce and the bemusing, if not fatefully disastrous, hiring of Steve Kean as his replacement, puzzling squad selections and transfers, and the subsequent relegation that would eventually befall Rovers at the end of last season. Life in the Championship this season has hardly offered much of a reprieve from the head scratching and bizarre behind the scenes.

NWSL: Will this league last?

Though some of the framework about the NWSL, the USA's third attempt at a women's soccer league in just over a decade, had been out to some extent in various corners of the internet, the recent national television debut of the league's structure and founding members at halftime of the US Women's win over China served to confirm that this league is seemingly a bit better thought out for some semblance of longevity, owing in large part to the lessons learned through the respective demises of the WUSA and WPS.

The Ryan Martin Show: an update on things

As some of you may know, I'm working on a master's degree in addition to being a bit of a soccer pundit. Sadly over the course of the last couple of months, the requirements of my academic pursuits have kept me from blogging as much as I'd prefer to, and the daunting task of post-first year qualifying exams, which would determine my eligibility for the second and final year of the program, have especially kept me occupied. Needless to say, studying for these took a bit of precedence over my soccer chatter. Thankfully, or perhaps even mercifully, these exams are finished and I've made it through them unscathed, so I'll be able to get back to business as usual once the holidays have passed.

The show schedule is going to be somewhat erratic in the weeks before the new year. I'll be back on air on Monday the 17th, but I'll be out of the studio on the 24th for Christmas and the 31st due to my travels to New Orleans for New Year's and the Florida v. Louisville game. With my girlfriend being a Louisville fan/alum, I'm all but obligated to go! Following the holidays, however, I'll be back to my usual Monday morning, 10am show schedule. I can't wait to get back to that more comfortable routine.

Additionally, I've got an idea for my third book that I'm throwing around, though this book is going to be a bit of a departure from the works of fiction I've penned prior. Rather, this one is going to be non-fiction and soccer related, so it could be quite interesting for some of you! I'll keep you all posted as this little project develops.

Ryan

Di Matteo sacked: the madness continues

As a pundit, I, maybe like some others in the field, come to expect to write on certain topics with some regularity. Rumored transfers, training ground bust-ups, and players deserving of an international cap or two are common fodder, though I think we've reached (or well passed) the point of adding the perpetually hot seat at Chelsea to this list of usual topics. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Yet, even with the normalcy of these proceedings firmly in mind, the madness or even insanity of such occurrences should not be minimized or trivialized. While some of the sackings we've seen from Stamford Bridge were hardly unexpected, such as the dismissals of Villas-Boas or Scolari, while others, such as the firing of Carlo Ancelotti, largely defied reason.

US Soccer: Narrow Margins

Rare is the man who would have picked the US to still have a chance to be eliminated from World Cup qualifying on this final match day of this semifinal group stage, but alas, regardless of a nation's expectations of its national team, that is indeed the reality that faces the US in advance of tonight's match versus Guatemala.

The safe money would certainly be on the US to win (or at least not lose) on their way to securing passage on to the final, hexagonal stage of the marathon that is CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, but that safe money shouldn't have to be risked tonight; that bet is one that should have been paid off a couple of matches ago, but, sadly, Jürgen Klinsmann's naivety at times has left the US with a margin that is far too narrow for comfort at this stage.

Steve Kean resigns; fans to return to Ewood?

The speculation about Steve Kean's future with Blackburn had been rife in the days since Rovers first loss of the season against Middlesbrough, but, as seen last season at various intervals, such speculations had hardly meant that there was anything in the offing with regards to a managerial change, much to the dismay of the Rovers faithful.

With that in mind, one could then understand the collective surprise of Blackburn fans when the news first broke of Steve Kean's resignation (a resignation Kean alleges was forced) yesterday, though the surprise could hardly be traced to Blackburn's decent start to this season. Rather, the astonishment had everything to do with feelings, and perhaps reasonably founded feelings, that owners Venky's hadn't a clue of what they were doing with the club and would in turn continue employing such a unanimously disliked manager.

United States 1, Jamaica 0: A sigh of relief

USA fans have perhaps grown rather accustomed to this stage of World Cup qualifying being little more than a formality over the years, but this confidence was to be unfortunately cast into some doubt, along with a nation's prospects of qualifying for Brazil 2014, as a result of the unforeseen road bump that took the form of Jamaica's landmark win over the Americans in Kingston only a few days prior. A first minute Clint Dempsey goal was hardly the opening of the floodgates on that humid Jamaican night, and an uninspiringly tepid performance from Klinsmann's men in tandem with two free kick goals from Rodolph Austin and Luton Shelton respectively put the bow on a poor, poor night.

With that recent result in mind and the USA's ascendancy in the group cast aside, one could forgive American fans for viewing this most recent game with a trepidation that was hardly to be felt a few days prior. Anything less than three points out of Crew Stadium would have made the road to the final hexagonal stage of CONCACAF qualifying a tough one indeed, but mercifully when contrasted with the midfield selections we saw from the USA in Jamaica, the inclusions of Jose Torres and Graham Zusi served to show that the gravity and urgency of the situation at hand were not lost on Jürgen Klinsmann this time around.

Jordan Rhodes signs with Blackburn: Venky's trying to make amends

There is no denying that the last 18 months for Blackburn Rovers under the stewardship of Indian poultry giants Venky's have been trying for Rovers supporters. Actually, to merely brand these recent times as only trying is perhaps casting them in a positive light that is quite euphemistic and trivializing in nature, for the proud "little engine that could" of Lancashire has gone from being a stable Premier League club doing a lot with a little to being relegated after a woeful season that saw mysterious player exclusions, an embarrasingly leaky defense, the sales of vital cogs in the machine such as Chris Samba, a worrying silence from anybody associated with the ownership, and the continued employment of a manager whose overall record in his time at Ewood is laughable and cringeworthy at best. 

In blunt terms, there has been every indication over the last year and a half that the Rao family (proprietors of Venky's) had no clue about how to run a club playing in England's highest level--never mind the rumors that they had no understanding of the idea of relegation, as that's a different conversation for a different day entirely.

Portland names Caleb Porter head coach...for next season

With Gavin Wilkinson assuming the reigns of the Timbers on an interim basis following the dismissal of John Spencer earlier this season, the safe money, barring a remarkable turn of fortunes under Wilkinson, was always going to be on another candidate for the job emerging, whether from MLS coaching circles, MLS alumni, or abroad. As it turned out, the eventual winner of the Portland lottery was to come from none of these sources.

In naming Akron's Caleb Porter as their coach for the 2013 season earlier today, Portland is taking a bit of a gamble in going with a manger who, while enjoying remarkable success in his time at Akron with the likes of Steve Zakuani and Portland's Darlington Nagbe amongst his former players, has no experience in managing at the professional level where egos can be front and center and players are no longer happy to simply have a chance to play when not going to classes. 

Luckily for Porter, there is at least one manager in the league who has made the transition from running a successful college program in recent times to enjoy some degree of success in MLS (Schellas Hyndman, who coached SMU from 1984-2008). Porter would be wise to phone him up if he hasn't already in order to pick his brain for any nuggets of wisdom that might be of use during his transition from Akron to Portland. Additionally, any assistance Porter can gain from the front office has he surveys the lay of the land in MLS will be absolutely paramount.

Yes, it probably is a gamble for Portland to go with Caleb Porter, but given the doldrums the Timbers have found themselves in, one can hardly begrudge them for going with a reputable name in US Soccer, even if his reputation has been developed at a lower level. There are some decent pieces already in place in Portland, so maybe, just maybe, Porter can put it all together and really bring the Timbers Army to their collective feet. Merritt Paulson will hope so.

The Ryan Martin Show, 8/27/12

The hot topics in yesterday's show included Rooney's injury, Maurice Edu's move to Stoke, and why Vancouver's summer moves just might be backfiring on them.

Unpacking his bags: Hendry Thomas signs with Colorado

In a move that was rumored to be in the works for the last week or so, Honduran international Hendry Thomas, who should certainly be familiar to those of us here in CONCACAF, finalized his move from Wigan and the sometimes overcast Northwest of England to the crisp air and high skies of the Denver area. Perhaps that's not too bad of a trade, climatologically speaking.

With Colorado currently eleven points adrift of the playoff positions out west, one would hardly be off the mark in saying that this move, much like some of the other ones we've seen around the league in recent weeks, is being made with an eye on next year as opposed to this term. The benefit in that, of course, is that Thomas will be able to get his feet on the ground here in MLS without having to deal with the rigors of a team making a playoff push at this stage of the season. Ergo, he'll be able to start 2013 with a fantastic understanding of the league, its teams, and the often underestimated toll of the cross-continental flights that away matches often entail. Hopping on a bus from Wigan to Bolton is no longer an option.

For Colorado fans, the massive void left by Pablo Mastroeni as a result of his concussion problems will at least begin to be filled, and at a mere 27 years old, his acclimatization to the league could certainly spell a good few years of providing the Rapids with the bite in midfield they've lacked in Mastroeni's absence. Yes, Colorado still needs to bolster other departments of the team in advance of next season if they are to get back into the postseason, but this signing, that of a still young and capable player with fantastic experience on his CV, is very much a step in the right direction. Whether Oscar Pareja will still be around to work with Thomas further obviously remains to be seen.

The Ryan Martin Show, 8/20/12

Today's show naturally featured the opening weekend of the Premier League, but a look back at the USA's win v. Mexico and MLS talk also shared the stage.

Dempsey transfer saga: Sell now, Fulham

Perhaps it's a sign of progress of the game in this country when one of our leading countrymen finds himself embroiled in a transfer battle like those that we have seen grace the back pages on newspaper throughout Europe for years and years now, and like all of those drawn out, protracted battles between players and clubs that have preceded this one, it would certainly be easy to take sides after Dempsey apparently ruled himself out of Fulham's 5-0 siege of Norwich at Craven Cottage. 

While some Fulham fans may be burning their Dempsey shirts in disgust as we speak, it would be quite myopic and naive to direct all of the consternation solely towards him.

Show and blog update: new season, new things

With the summer out of the way and a return to a more normal routine, the time is certainly now to kick things up a bit with the show and the blog in order to provide all of you with more of the insights and opinions that the well-studied soccer fan unquestionably deserves. These first few months of the show (my first foray into soccer media) have marked an evolution of the show itself, and with that said, this short time on the air has offered me more valuable experience for getting my voice out there so that I may, however directly or indirectly, chat with all of you about this game that connects us in so many different ways.

As it is, my schedule is actually a bit more clogged up this fall than it was over the summer, due largely to me taking on the responsibilities that go along with providing live radio commentary for Auburn University's women's soccer team this upcoming season, but I am dead set on returning to blogging on a more regular basis in order to use the blog as more of a supplement to my Monday morning show rather than a separate entity entirely.

What does this all mean, then? It means that you can expect a lot more content here on the blog, because the reality is that being on the air once a week hardly suffices when the world of soccer pauses for no one. Additionally, the podcasts of the show will also be returning, so if you aren't able to catch the show live, fear not. It will be there for you whenever you can get to it.

With two Auburn games, a full slate of MLS games, as well as the opening weekends in England and Spain to garner my attention, it's going to be a busy weekend indeed, but what else could you possibly want to be so occupied with other than soccer? I can't think of many things that would be preferable by comparison.

With Autumn upon us, look forward to that much more to come. It's an exciting time for me professionally, and I'm glad to have you guys along for the ride.

Ryan

The Ryan Martin Show: 7/16/12

If you missed yesterday's show, fret not, because here it is in its entirety. The Le Toux/Richards trade (before I caught the news of Kenny Miller's signing), Michael Bradley's move to Roma, and last weekend's MLS action take centerstage.

Vancouver Whitecaps: Martin Rennie's swap shop

I was completely prepared to offer up something resembling an in-depth analysis of the blockbuster, if not shocking due to its lack of preceding rumors, trade which sent Sebastian Le Toux eastward once more, this time to New York, in return for the pacy Jamaican winger Dane Richards, though my aspirations of musing about this intriguing deal were dealt a bit of a curveball when it was announced that striker Kenny Miller, most recently of Cardiff, had signed up on a Designated Player's salary and would soon be joining Richards out west as well.

Thankfully, or at least from the perspective of a wordy soccer pundit, this additional bit of news makes the happenings in Vancouver just that much more fascinating as they attempt to make the MLS playoffs in only their second year in the league.

Almost there: Semifinal #2, Germany v. Italy

As I might have predicted about my prediction yesterday, it wound up being wrong, but only just. A single Portugal chance converted would have had me looking like a footballing Nostradamus, but alas, it wasn't to be.

Moving ahead, I'm a bit pressed on time to offer much analysis for Germany v. Italy, so I'll keep it short and to the point. Balotelli could be rather troublesome for the likes of Badstuber and Hummels, but the right-back woes for Italy could be even more problematic for Italy.

With that said, Italy will probably do their best to keep things tight and organized as they are so known for, and it just might work for much of the game...whether it's 90 minutes or 120 minutes. I have a feeling that it will just barely not suffice.

Prediction: 2-1 Germany, ET

Almost there: Semifinal #1, Portugal v. Spain

It's perhaps too bad for the neutral fan that we've reached this stage of the competition without a true Cinderella story on offer, but in lieu of that unifying underdog, we've at least been graced with a couple of semifinal matches between the heavy hitters that are rife with their own storylines indeed. In this vein, I certainly have a thought or two about today's matchup, and, against my better judgement, there's even a prediction on offer, even though predictions from pundits and fans alike have a tendency to stray well off the mark after ninety minutes.

Di Matteo FINALLY confirmed as Chelsea manager

What took so long? No, I'm not talking about my blogging hiatus, but rather the protracted and well overdue appointment of Roberto Di Matteo on a permanent basis. As logic would suggest based upon the renaissance Chelsea enjoyed under his stewardship and the eventual haul of two massive trophies in the form of the FA Cup and their Champions League triumph, and as many fans have so clamored, there was honestly no reason to not hand the reigns over to Di Matteo. Alas, as things so often go with Roman Abramovich at the helm, reason doesn't always prevail, but this time it has--even if such sound decision making may have only been borne out of a rumored failed dalliance with Pep Guardiola.

This was the unquestionably the right decision, but it won't necessarily mean that the period of transition that Villas-Boas faced rather unsuccessfully is suddenly no more...

Ryan Martin Show, 5/14/12

The drama between Manchester United and Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season just might have garnered a lot of attention on yesterday's show. Be forewarned.

Ryan Martin Show, 5/7/12

Ryan Martin Show, 4/16/12

If you missed it earlier today, listen in to today's show now for my views on the weekend's action in MLS, England, and points in between.

Ryan

Ryan Martin Show, 4/9/12

If you missed yesterday's show, fear not, because the podcast is now up. The hot topics of the day included Kansas City's run, Mario Balotelli's insanity, and LA's prospects going forward. Enjoy!

Wednesday roundup: Barcelona through to Champions League semis, Kagawa eyes Premier League, and Toronto carries the MLS flag

Barcelona 3, AC Milan 1 (3-1 Aggregate): There were probably a few brave souls who dared to bet on AC Milan going into Barcelona and nicking a result after holding the defending Champions League champions to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro last week, but Barcelona's dominance over Zlatan Ibrahimovic and co. was thoroughly asserted. With Bayern Munich on the horizion in the semis, the road to the Allianz Arena may still be bumpy yet, but the dream Barcelona v. Real Madrid matchup in the final is still on track.

Shinji Kagawa on Premier League radars?: The word out of Germany (specifically from Bild) is that Shinji Kagawa, who has been scintillating for Borrusia Dortmund this season, could be a target for Manchester United or Chelsea this summer. As is often the case, there will be questions about how well he could acclimate to the style of play in England, but I see no reason why he couldn't. Kagawa's presence in the Premier League would surely make an already popular league that much more so in his native land.

Toronto at Santos Laguna tonight (1-1 aggregate): The hopes of MLS glory in the CONCACAF Champions League hang in the balance tonight with Toronto FC, MLS's lone remaining representative, travelling down to the graveyard of so many MLS dreams and aspirations: Mexico. With Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans set to miss out through injury and suspension respectively, the task of duplicating FC Dallas's feat of winning in Mexico will only be that much more difficult. Ryan Johnson might just have to score a goal or two to make the unlikely victory a reality. Stranger things have happened, however; this is soccer we're talking about here.

Ryan Martin Show, 4/2/12...well, most of it.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

With the previous technical gremlins that derailed prior show recordings ironed out, everything looked to be set for getting a full show up and online for the first time in a while. Yet, as Monday mornings can go, a little early morning human error was bound to pop up, and alas, I was the culprit. Recording the full show always goes a bit easier when the host remembers to press record. Oops.

As it is, feel free to listen in to my analysis of the weekend in that was in MLS, the Premier League, and the big races in Europe. Something is better than nothing. 

Nick DeLeon shines in DC United's win over FC Dallas; Rookie of the Year candidate?

Considering that DC United came into last night's nationally televised match against FC Dallas having scored but one meager goal during their opening 270+ minutes of the season, one could have hardly forecast that DC would explode for four against the favored Texas side. Maicon Santos' long strike of a goal for DC will easily find a lot of play on the highlight reels over the course of this weekend, but, as grandiose as that opening goal was, that was hardly the only highlight for me in watching the game.

Fabrice Muamba: The beauty of a simple picture

@fmuamba/Twitter

I couldn't help but to smile from ear to ear this morning upon seeing that this picture of Fabrice Muamba that had been just recently posted on Muamba's Twitter account only minutes prior. Yes, he still has some way to go in his recovery, and who can even begin to speculate about the future of his playing career, but all of that is so absolutely irrelevant at the moment. What matters is that this man pictured above, he who was technically dead for 78 minutes after falling into cardiac arrest on the pitch at White Hart Lane before medical personnel, thanks to their absolutely tireless work, brought him back to life, will be able to continue his life with his fiancee Shauna and he will be able to watch his young son Josh grow up and maybe even follow in his own footballing footsteps. There's a world out there for them to all continue experiencing together, and every moment will surely be that much more beautiful now.

The old cliche is that a picture is worth a thousand words, but wow, this picture is worth so much more than that. It's the representation of the millions and millions of outpourings of support Muamba has received, and it's the representation of the tears of joy that fans around the world will surely shed upon seeing Muamba's smiling face today. That it means so much is yet another sign of the bond that soccer creates between all of us, and through that bond we are all united in longing to see the day when Fabrice Muamba is well enough to leave that London hospital, hand in hand with his young family.

Catching up: update and show news

Hey everyone,
These last few days have been insanely busy in the Auburn metro area, so aside from doing my on-air work for the show, I've hardly had time to post my thoughts, musings, and ramblings here on the blog. Thankfully, that tide looks to be turning this week. Not a moment too soon, because I'm ready to get back to my usual operations.

Additionally, as some of you might have noticed, the live streaming of the show has been sketchy over the last couple of weeks. I've been told that they're working on that, but even if it's not remedied in time for the next show, there is some good news to be had: replays of the show will resume next week! So even if you're not able to catch the show live, for whatever reason, you can still hear every minute of it soon enough.

Thanks for all of your support,
Ryan

CONCACAF Champions League: LA folds, Seattle implodes, MLS hopes shrivel

With both Seattle and LA sitting in decent enough positions going into the second legs of their respective CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal ties against Santos Laguna and Toronto, the neutral MLS supporter had to like the chances of at least one of them, if not both, moving on to the semifinals of a competition whose trophy, up to this point, has yet to grace the trophy case of any MLS team, though Real Salt Lake was within a goal of bringing it home last year. After defeating Santos Laguna 2-1 in Seattle, there was always hope that Seattle would be able to join FC Dallas in beating a Mexican club in Mexico, and just about everyone would have picked Los Angeles to take control of their matchup with Toronto after coming out of the Rogers Centre with a salvaged 2-2 draw last week. 

Chelsea overturns first leg deficit against Napoli, moves on to Champions League quarterfinals: Renaissance on the cards?

After the capitulation in Napoli a couple of weeks ago that was one of the last nails in the coffin of Andre Villas-Boas' short reign at Chelsea, the presumably safe and smart money would have been put on Napoli seeing the return at Stamford Bridge out as they booked their passage into the deeper stages of Europe's most prestigious club competition. It was all so clear cut for Napoli and their embarrasing wealth of attacking flair, but as things go so often in this game we all can't get enough of, the script was to be thrown out the window as if it had never been written in the first place.

Show update: 3/12/12

As it turns out, I'll be out of the studio today, so join me again on-air next Monday. We'll talk about all of the action from this weekend's FA Cup games, the second round of MLS matches, and all of the main championship races from Europe.

Until then,
Ryan

Quick thoughts: MLS opening weekend

After months of waiting following the last kick of the ball in LA's MLS Cup win over Houston at the Home Depot Center, the wait is over and the national soccer holiday of the beginning of another MLS season is finally upon us once more. On this holiday, the MLS schedule makers have hardly disappointed us, for it can be said that each and every game of this opening weekened has its own share of intrigue and talking points.

Chelsea's managerial carousel carries on...

After what was yet another lifeless and uninspired performance this past weekend, this time against West Brom, it came as absolutely no surprise to anyone when the axe fell on André Villas-Boas' very abbreviated term as Chelsea manager. After all, the results had been slipping for some time now, and such an output just won't do when the owner has such a lust for impeccable performances and the biggest of trophies.

England to wait to appoint new manager

In a report published by Soccernet this week on the heels of England's 3-2 loss to the Netherlands, it has been revealed that England will be waiting until the end of the season in May, a mere few weeks before the start of Euro 2012, to select the new man in charge of bringing England more long awaited silverware. If England are indeed to adhere to this appointment headline that has been laid out, you almost have to wonder if the FA are actually trying to bring such glory to England at all.

United States 1, Italy 0: A turning point for Klinsmann

In what was an international matchday rife with high profile clashes in Europe, none was bigger on this side of the Atlantic than the USA's venture into Genoa to take on an Italy side that had never fallen to the Americans in ten previous meetings dating back to the 1930s. Given the absences of such notable players as Landon Donovan, Jermaine Jones and Oguchi Onyewu, the US could have been forgiven and even commended for coming away from this game with a close loss, but such moral victories weren't exactly what Klinsmann and his men had in mind. Instead, they had every intent of leaving Genoa with a more positive result in hand.

Anatomy of a Cinderella story: Borussia Mönchengladbach's improbable season

If there is one thing to love about the Bundesliga, it is that the championship race always includes a team that comes seemingly out of nowhere to be in the running, even at this later stage of the season. Sure, Bayern is always a candidate, and usual suspects such as Borussia Dortmund and Schalke are bound to be in the conversation year in and year out, but surprise teams such as Hoffenheim (as a newly promoted team, no less), Hertha Berlin and Mainz in recent years have done so much to provide neutral fans with an underdog story to find interest in before they ultimately fell short of their lofty aspirations. The rise of Borussia Mönchengladbach, this year's Cinderella, is just about as unlikely as they come, however.

The Ryan Martin Show, 2/27/12

Podcast Powered By Podbean

As opposed to what has happened while recording the show during the last couple of weeks, this week's show came through unscathed and complete...well, almost. For some reason the recording cut off with quite literally ten seconds left in the show. Needless to say, those ten seconds weren't all too important by then.

Klinsmann rolls out roster for Italy: Usual suspects and a couple of twists

I could go through with a thorough rundown of the roster position by position, but there probably isn't much need for that considering that the squad we will see trotted out in Genoa next Wednesday will look much like what we've seen for a few years now. That's not to say that there won't be a couple of guys I'll be particularly interested to see on this stage, however.

Chelsea in crisis: What to do with André Villas-Boas?

At times yesterday, it looked as if Chelsea had read Arsenal's recently written script of travelling to Italy to be a lamb to the slaughter, Juan Mata's goal notwithstanding. Independent of Mata's fortuitous goal, Chelsea were just about as porous defensively (not too much of a surprise these days) as Arsenal had been but a week earlier, and in doing so effectively signed their own execution order for both this singular match and, in all probability, the two-legged tie as well. Peter Cech even did his part in these defensive lapses by inexplicably leaving himself in no man's land by coming out to the edge of the box to contest Edinson Cavani, thus leaving a gaping net for Ezequiel Lavezzi to coolly fire into for his second. For a side like Napoli that boasts such household names as those of Cavani and Marek Hamsik, there is certainly no need to help them score when they can do just fine in scoring on their own, thank you. Chelsea didn't exactly heed this elementary advice.

Show and blog update...

It's been a busy few days here in Auburn, so I thought I'd catch everyone up on the latest.

• If you attempted to listen to Monday's show online, you probably noticed that there were some problems in doing so. Apparently the figurative hamster fell off the wheel at the studio and screwed up the live streaming. As the recording of the show was being taken from the live stream, it wound being a series of crackles and pops instead of actually sounding like a show. This should be remedied by next Monday.
• I've got a couple of stories I'm brainstorming on at the moment, so look for those to be up later today or tomorrow.
• And finally, thanks to everyone who has listened in or read the blog in these very early days of the show. It's still a work in progress, but the process of getting the show to where I want it to be has been a lot of fun in these first couple of weeks. Thanks for tuning in!

David Bentley (possibly) and Eddie Johnson to MLS: Last Chance Saloon for both?

Wonker (Flickr) and Jarrett Campbell

With the MLS season kicking off next month, teams throughout the league have been shuffling their decks with the hopes of getting the balance right in a league that is so renowned for its parity and competitiveness. In this preseason merry-go-round, the names of two players who are looking for redemption in their respective careers have come to the fore: David Bentley and Eddie Johnson.

AC Milan 4, Arsenal 0: Introspection time

Gordon Flood

I really and truly thought that Arsenal had a chance to go into Milan last night, get at least a draw, and with a good break along the way, maybe even head back to London with the win and a valuable away goal or two. None of this was to come to pass, however, much to the chagrin of Gunners fans everywhere. Kevin-Prince Boateng's masterclass of a volley on 15 minutes made sure of that.

US Soccer: Friendlies with some bite!

The upcoming friendly with Italy in Genoa on the 29th of this month has naturally garnered much attention from my fellow Americans, since we as fans are always intrigued by these matches that give us the opportunity to see if our boys can play with the best in their own backyard, as seen with the France friendly last fall.

For American fans not able to take the time off  for a nice soccer themed, European vacation, a couple of tantalizing options have taken shape in the last few days.

Quick Tuesday thoughts: Administration, Brian Ching, and Bouna Coundoul

While I should be salivating at the thought of the Champions League round of 16 kicking off today with Barcelona traveling to Bayer Leverkusen and the Cinderella APOEL going to Lyon, I can't help but to have my thoughts gravitating more towards the financial plights of Rangers and Portsmouth, both of whom have been entered into administration in recent days.

The Ryan Martin Show, 2/13/12 (Some technical difficulties)

Podcast Powered By Podbean

As Murphy's Law would have it, there would of course be some technological snag that would pop up at some point during my first show. This snag did indeed arise, and it came in the form of the recording of the show fouling up midway through and costing me part of my commentary about the England job, all of my Suarez rant, and opinions about Manchester United v. Liverpool and Manchester City.

Be warned that the recording jumps from me talking about England to me talking about Tottenham as a result of this, so don't think that my ADD kicked in at that point. Alas, at least I can offer you most of the show if you missed it live. Better luck next time, I hope!

Quick thoughts: West Brom 5, Wolves 1--End of the road for McCarthy?

After the win against QPR at Loftus Road last week, Wolves fans must have been of the mentality that the upcoming fixture at home against West Brom was undoubtedly winnable and that Wolves could very well be on their way to survival. The reality of Sunday's match proved to put these hopes to bed with a thud.

Premier League title race: Manchester City v. Aston Villa

With Manchester United having gained all three points yesterday against Liverpool, the onus is firmly on Manchester City to win at Villa Park and not lay another egg on the road as they did against Everton.

Luis Suarez and the victim's mentality (Updated with statement from Liverpool, Suarez)

With the execution of one simple, fleeting gesture, Luis Suarez could have put his racism fueled row with Patrice Evra to bed and even taken the steps toward restoring his image in all parts of England not named Liverpool. Alas, this moral high road was one that Luis Suarez apparently deemed too difficult to navigate.

Premier League Saturday thoughts

While the sexy match of the weekend, that of Manchester United and Liverpool, is currently underway in the early kickoff, there are plenty of other games taking place around England which could prove to have massive implications for teams trying to stay up and those dreaming of nights in Europe.

Random Musing: A case for Brendan Rodgers

                                                                                                 Ben Wyeth Photography

                                                                             
As one would readily expect in the aftermath of Fabio Capello's abrupt resignation from his post as England manager, the speculation about just who will take the reigns of England in advance of Euro 2012 has begun in earnest and undoubtedly won't die down until the FA has chosen his replacement. Of course, this rampant speculation will only be replaced by almost perverse over-analysis and hyperbole once the selection has actually been confirmed.

Capello resigns in wake of Terry row

This isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last time the FA shoots itself in the foot, but the grand nature of this self-inflicted wound probably leaves many England fans and multitudes in the soccer world shaking their heads in unison.

One voice out of many...

The debut of my radio show next week is fast approaching, and while I do my best to put some of the final touches on the production and publicity of the show in these dwindling days, I can't help but to look back on how I've reached the point of being such an ardent fan of the world's game and, in turn, how I've somehow, for better or worse, even turned into yet another in a long line of pundits who have been so taken by this sport as to want to wax poetic about it in order to earn a daily wage.