Wednesday 23 December 2015

Where's the best place to keep up to date with all the football, all the time?

In Off The Post prides itself in taking a look at all angles of football. We love the game of football and want as many people as possible to enjoy it. We are great advocates of going to live football matches. But sometimes it’s just not possible, due to the pressures of work, time and money. So what is there to do when you can’t get to a live match but still want to be involved?

Football has always been the beautiful game, and now it's also the global game. I grew up in England and it was rare that we saw live league matches on television. It was even rarer that matches from other countries were mentioned on television or in the press. It was only the FA Cup Final and the World Cup that gave me access to mass football coverage.

In the current days of FIFA16 and with access to the internet, my children know as much about football clubs from Brazil, Portugal, USA or Russia as they do about teams from England. The world game is changing at a similar rate with players transferring to clubs in faraway countries to make a living.

So how do I keep up with matches from all over the world? I want highlights, live streaming and information about upcoming matches. And I want it all in one place.



The best place to find all of this is
 www.socceryou.com where you can find everything you need to follow football. It's so good to be able to go to one source for each of the different things you need to complete your enjoyment of soccer. It has everything you want, including-
  •          Highlights
  •          Live streaming
  •          Competitions
  •          Full matches
  •          Match odds
  •          Live scores 


So, the avid football fan can catch up with the latest scores as they are happening. It gives them the ability to keep abreast of what is happening in the global game. It puts them in the picture when it comes to football scores and from there they can watch highlights and plan the next live streams they want to catch.

The latest videos are available at the touch of a button. Whether you're looking to catch up on the matches you missed, check out the form of your favourite players or just browse what is available, the choices are endless. It's a great idea to get together with your friends to catch up on what you've missed - sharing the experience only makes it better!

Those who play FUT FIFA Ultimate Team on their games consoles can see the highlights and see who they could put into their squad. It gives them the insight that can put them ahead of their rivals when building a team. Having the best players on your team gets you kudos from your friends and propels you further into the game, as your experience can mirror some of the things you see happening in the real life game.

Those that want to watch live football on the go can access the live streaming option and watch the top matches from all over the globe. The matches available and the teams involved are staggering, and you can watch to your heart’s content. Being able to watch matches at your whim changes the way you interact with football. It can be all-encompassing.



Give
 www.socceryou.com a try as they have everything for the tech-savvy football fan and can put you in the picture no matter what teams you follow and where you are in the world. It empowers you to get the most out of football.


Monday 21 December 2015

See my take on whether Leicester City will make the top 4 this season

After most of the matches have been played this weekend, there's a question that everyone has been asking.

Will Leicester make the top four at the end of the season?




I heard Paul Merson ask it on Gillette Soccer Saturday, Jermain Jenas ask it on Match Of The Day and Martin Keown on MOTD2.

My answer really differs to most of what I've  heard recently. I don't think that they can keep this up. Just watching the intensity of their game against Everton and the amount of fight they had to put in, means for me that they will run out of steam.

An injury or two, a suspension or a player needing a test will put a bigger dent in their squad than any of their rivals. They don't have proven internationals on the bench or young starlets coming through the under-21 league. This means that they will struggle for quality if they hit a bad patch. It currently looks like Leicester will be competing with Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United for a Champions League spot and all their squads run deeper.

Leicester could have some aces up their sleeves in the January transfer window, though and new signings will be easier to come by than last January when they were bottom of the league. But the pressure will be on Claudio Ranieri to make improvements without breaking the team spirit they have developed.

Whatever happens, it will be an interesting season. Keep watching and keep reading!


Friday 18 December 2015

Return to the days of Sensible Soccer with this new classic - Natural Soccer

In Off The Post looks at all angles of the beautiful game of football for all of my readers. I may be about to show my age with this look at an arcade soccer game that’s starting to take the world of arcade soccer games by storm.

I'm of the age where certain evenings were spent at a friend’s house playing one of the Amiga classic football games - Sensible Soccer. It was fast-paced, highly addictive and loads of fun. We used to sit up until the small hours of the morning saying to ourselves “Just one more game before bed, and college in the morning.” I often look back to those days and wish I still had an Amiga and I still had one of those games. As the statistics and superstars of FIFA and PES appeal massively to my children, I want something more of my generation, something faster, easier to pick up.

There's a game available that recreates games like Sensible Soccer and it's available on the Apple App Store, Windows, Steam, Ouya and Google Play. There’s a whole host of ways to download, open and enjoy.

It's called Natural Soccer.





And it’s a really great game to play. It taps into the inspiration of Sensible Soccer and is not simply a recreation of it, but an improvement. It feels like I’m back in my youth.

Natural is absolutely the keyword here, as it feels like a football or soccer game should – it is fast, the controls are intuitive and it is highly addictive. You will just play non-stop for hours on end and never get bored of the gameplay. Being able to It is what every video game in the world should be – easy to pick up but difficult to master. This gives you hours and hours of gameplay. The way the players and the ball move just feels right, which is something I know a lot of football games struggle with. The result is a game that flows so well and immerses you in the action – not in a smash-you-in-the-face way (like FIFA) but in the way that makes you just want to have fun. You can still score spectacular goals and play the game like a pro.

It has multiplayer capability so it’s great to play with friends. You can play with up to 4 players. There are over 200 teams to choose from so you will never get bored of playing, and will never run out of opponents to face. Challenge your friends to a game, especially if they are of a similar age to me – they will love the retro style but will realise that this is an up-to-date classic.




There is a league mode, so if you want to get serious and set yourself a challenge then this is a great mode to select. You start the league season and the best team wins the league. Use this mode to challenge yourself and see if you can lift the title.

I suggest that you just get the game and start playing. There’s no drafting, transferring or negotiation to work your way through as there is in FIFA 16 Ultimate Team. Just buy it, open it and start playing. There’s no better way to enjoy a football or soccer game on any platform.

Natural Soccer is a great game to play and a great game to share. Download it, get your friends to download it and you’ll all have hours of fun kicking around a virtual football until it’s time to go to bed – especially if you have college in the morning!

Thursday 17 December 2015

What do you buy the avid football fan for Christmas? How about this?

In Off The Post likes to take a look at football from many angles. It’s coming to the time of year where Christmas takes over. There’s planning your match schedules over the busy Christmas football period and buying football-related gifts for the football mad in your life to sort out.

As the Christmas season draws ever closer, there comes a time to consider the gifts you will get for your friends, family and work colleagues. One annual question is "what Christmas present do you get for the football fan?" The same old presents such as football shirts or books written by ex-footballers don't always cut the mustard. So what great (and different) gift can you buy someone who's interested in football?

I find that in the digital age, virtual gifts appeal to the young but are not the preferred way of sending a present. When it comes to reading a book, for instance, I want the feel of a real book. I want the feeling it gives, the smell it gives off and the physicality of holding it. For me, this beats reading on a Kindle or other reading device hands down.

There is a great gift available now for the avid football fan with discerning taste that wants to feel what they are reading.

It's the Soccer 360 Magazine Special offer and it can be found here www.soccer360magazine.com/giftsub.html



It’s a 1 year, 6 issue gift subscription of the great soccer magazine.

I’ve blogged about the Soccer360 magazine before and it’s becoming hugely popular with the football fan that wants news, views, reports and interviews that cover the best that football has to offer. The magazine has a truly international flavour, and caters for readers that want to look beyond their own league or country and really find out what’s going on in the world of soccer. With this gift subscription you can not only share the gift of football with a friend, family member or work colleague but there are free gifts too! Soccer360 magazine says-

GIVE a gift, get a gift. GIVE THE GIFT OF SOCCER 360 AND RECEIVE TWO (2) FREE EURO 2016 BANNER PENS!”

The football-mad person in your life will be thrilled to receive a gift like this. It gives them access to quality writing on football, information about the global game and something to keep and look back on over the years. The magazine becomes timeless as today’s current footballers turn into tomorrow’s legends of the game. In the current FIFA generation of game players, access to information about footballers and teams from all over the world is becoming a valuable commodity. Let Soccer360 magazine help to get them to the top of the game by learning all about the world of soccer.

The very next issue is the January 2016 edition. This features a Neymar 29" giant pull out poster for all you Barcelona fans out there. It also includes a Euro 2016 Preview, hot on the heels of the draw for the competition. It showcases the Champions League best 16 of the season so far. There have been many surprises so far in the EPL, LA LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA and Soccer360 takes a look at how this has unfolded. There are features on Muller, Buffon and Zlatan. Plus there’s an end of season MLS Season Review and much more.




In Off The Post is really excited about Soccer360 magazine, as (alongside this blog) it offers everything you want or need to know about the game of football around the world. Get to the website and get the perfect Christmas gift today.


Tuesday 15 December 2015

Twists and turns at the bottom of the table this week - who will go down?

There were some interesting twists and turns at the bottom end of the Premier League this weekend. With Manchester City and Arsenal (and possibly Leicester City tonight) swapping the lead there seems to be more definitive action in the relegation battle. Let's have a look at how the teams fighting relegation are looking going into the Christmas period-

Aston Villa look absolutely doomed. If 40 points is the magic figure the they still need 34. An almost impossible target for what looks like a very poor team. Experience at the back in Guzan, Lescott and Richards hasn't shored up the defence. The midfield is too lightweight and there's nowhere near enough goals in the team.



My team Sunderland also look in trouble. Their Christmas fixtures are really tough and they'll go into the new year looking for something like 1.5 points per game. Big Sam has been there and done it all before but this one looks tough. He keeps saying that there's goals in this team, and it agree, but conceding like they did against Watford will put them onthe back foot too often. They may just escape on the back of Watmore and Defoe.



Norwich got a draw against in-form Everton but they look a poor team. I can't see them picking up enough points to survive.



I really like the way Bournemouth play their football. Losing key players to big injuries would set anyone back but they've just kept playing their football. Pace frightens defenders and they've given Chelsea and Manchester United a beating in consecutive games. I think they'll stay up and I hope they'll stay up.



Newcastle United have had more false dawns than any other club on this list. Back to back wins don't guarantee that a corner has been turned but the outlook is better than a week ago. Goals will be their problem but they may have enough to survive.



Swansea have been dragged into it by virtue of their awful recent form. The key to their survival may be the new manager. I can't see anyone currently out of a job that is prime candidate. Gus Poyet is the bookies favourite but I've seen first hand what he can do to a team - the good and the bad.



My bottom three will be Aston Villa, Norwich City and Swansea. Watch this space.


Monday 7 December 2015

See the lowdown on why the Premier League is wide open this season

It feels as though nobody really wants to win the league this year. There's no stand out team that is taking it by the scruff of the neck like Chelsea did last season. With Manchester City losing at the weekend, Chelsea continuing their poor form and Manchester United struggling for goals it came to Leicester City and Arsenal to pick up wins and make their move.

So why are the big teams not firing so far?

Let's have a look-

Man City have suffered more injuries than usual this season. Losing Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero for long spells would harm any team in the world. They've list their captain, their midfield driving force and a large percentage of their goals. Kevin De Bruyne in his first proper Premier League season and a still-young Raheem Sterling can't seem to turn the tide on their own.



Louis Van Gaal has changed the philosophy at Man United. After a season in the doldrums under David Moyes, he probably felt he needed to turn the tide in some way. This way has been to spend (really, really) big and produce a team that keeps clean sheets as their main aim. From there, they hope that Rooney's will, Martial's pace or Mata's guile gets them a goal. It's quite dour to watch but the board thinks it's a great alternative to the Moyes reign.



What can I possible say about Chelsea? They have been awful and Jose Mourinho has not been the great manager we have been led to believe he is. Man management has never looked his strong point and it feels like he has lost the dressing room. A Champions eague exit this week will all but seal his fate. I suspect that Abramovic wants to keep him on but time is definitely running out.



The last of the traditional big four is Arsenal and they have suffered injuries on a similar scale to Man City. They have lost key players at key times but still keep up second place at the moment. The magic of Ozil will have to make do on it's own as Sanchez what looks like a hamstring injury which could keep him out of the side for a while.



The revelation so far have been Leicester City and they currently top the table. Nobody expects them to keep it up but if the other teams mentioned above continue with their problems then Leicester have a chance. In the January transfer window will be much easier to attract players than this time last year when they were in real trouble. With a couple of quality acquisitions they could have a chance of lasting the distance and from there who knows?



My tip for the title as it stands now is Manchester City. I just think that they can't continue to be this unlucky with injuries and they could go out and buy a £50 million player in January if they felt it necessary.


Monday 23 November 2015

El Clasico clashes with Manchester City v Liverpool - who will win out?

As El Classico clashes with the Man City v Liverpool match on Sky Sports tonight, I think it's time to ask whether the global game has taken over the Premier League.

What will you watch?

Real Madrid v Barcelona?




Man City v Liverpool?





Or take the option with Sky to watch it split screen? Is like to see a breakdown on the viewing figures.

When I was young, teams from outside of England, Scotland and Wales seemed a million miles away. Players with exotic-sounding names from different pockets of the globe has their own thing going on.

When Steve Archibald went to Barcelona, my world changed a little. He was the first top player in my memory that had made such a switch. It looked like a massive adventure that bordered on madness. Likewise for overseas players coming to the English league. Ossie Ardiles was my first memory of a player coming in the opposite direction.

Now the Premier League is awash with great players from as far and wide as Senegal, New Zealand, USA, Chile and a plethora of Spaniards, French and Dutch. There has been much lament of how this affects the England national team. But it's not the relative lack of success of the England team that worries me in this blog. It's a problem that is typified by the matches I mentioned at the top of the blog. The Premier League bills itself at different times as-

"The best league in the world"
"The most competitive league in the world"
"The most exciting league in the world"

And these have always been selling points as the league sells itself over the world for TV money. And as the Premier League loses it's standing against the big matches from other leagues and potentially losing their 4th Champions League place-


The Premier League has grown on the back of the massive TV deal after massive TV deal and they don't expect it to stop anytime soon. But if Sky find that more people tune in for El Clasico than a top Premier League clash then they may not pay quite so much in their next deal. Broadcasters from other countries could follow suit and this will mean that the power of the Premier League wanes.

I can see this being more of a big deal for the Premier League power brokers than any loss of status for the England team.

Who will be the big movers in the January transfer window?

We are edging towards the January transfer window and clubs will have already set budgets, discussed targets and made init enquiries about how they wish to recruit. With a few "big" clubs underachieving and untold riches available for staying in the Premier League, I expect a considerable amount of money to be spent. Here I take a look at the major recruiters in January and where I expect them to splash the cash.



Chelsea
The champions have has a dreadful start to the season, and Jose Mourinho is no stranger to spending his club owners money. They have looked weak in defence and long-term replacements for John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic are needed. With Diego Costa looking injury-prone and neither Loic Remy nor Radamel Falcao cutting the mustard I can see a move for a striker - especially of they can offload Falcao back to Monaco.

Newcastle
Although Steve McClaren has stated that he's happy with the current squad, the loss of Tim Krul is a massive blow. A quality keeper is worth 10 points per season, and this could be the difference between survival and relegation this year. I'd expect them to look for a short-term option, someone like Victor Valdes, as Krul will be number one choice again when he's fit.

Sunderland
After another terrible start to a season and another managerial change I would expect some Big Sam wheeling and dealing in the transfer window. There will undoubtedly by some players leaving and others coming in, but the true nature of who comes in is dependent on who leaves. Expect some of the older players such as Wes Brown and Jermain Defoe to leave and some defenders to come in.

Aston Villa
Another big club with a new manager and an awful season to date. Villa haven't spent much for a long time now and, like Sunderland, I can't see loads of players coming in unless loads of players leave. But they have to improve immediately if they are to have any hope of statyng up.

These won't be the only teams that need strengthening in January but are the ones that stand out to me as the most likely at the moment. But all it takes is an injury for a team to suddenly see a gaping hole where that they think needs filling with an expensive player.

Watch this space!


Tuesday 17 November 2015

After the emotion, the England v France game has a meaning

After the terrorist atrocities in Paris last week, they said that the match and the result didn't matter. But for England it had to matter. The lesson in possession football and taking your chances that Spain handed out last week showed that England have a lot of work to do before the Euros next year.



With only four friendly dates available between now and the start of the championships every minute counts, let alone every game. Roy Hodgson has work to do,

He needs to decide on formation, first choice players, the makeup of the squad and which utility players to take 

I'd say that he has probably totally settled on only Joe Hart, Gary Cahill, Raheem Sterling, Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane as absolute nailed-on starters. Which leaves 6 first-choice places up for grabs. Let's have a look at them-

Right back
Nathaniel Clyne has pole position for right back at the moment but hasn't really done enough to totally claim his place yet. Clyne played against France but Kyle Walker started against Spain and has played a number of England games for Roy Hosgson.

Centre back
The second centre back with Cahill is really up for grabs. Johns Stones, Phil Jagielka, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have all staked mild claims to the place but none have made an overwhelming case. I like Stones but it's a case of watch this space.

Left back
Like centre back, there's a few choices here. Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw both having long-term injuries has opened the door. Keiran Gibbs and Ryan Bertrand are in the current squad.

Midfield
Ross Barkley is starting to establish himself as someone that Hodgson trusts but it still not a banker for a starting place. Add to this Dier, Shelvey, Alli, Delphi, Mason, Lallana, Lingard, Henderson, Wilshere, Carrick, Milner, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain and you can see why the positions haven't been settled. Lots of potential but not enough real top quality.

The result of the game against France may be irrelevant in the context of what happened in Paris but for England the performance of individual players will have a massive impact on what they are doing next Summer.




Monday 16 November 2015

A Review of Fieldoo.com

I can see a great social aspect in using Fieldoo.com as an amateur player where you can network with your intermediaries, clubs and international players. Football is a very social activity in itself. My children talk about football as much as they play football. They talk with their friends, me, their mother, their grandparents, their auntie, their uncle and pretty much anyone else who will listen. We can’t pass a sports shop without going in and looking at the latest football kits and football boots. The video games related to football are in-depth with player statistics and information about clubs from all over the world. Fieldoo is the absolute extension of this – it’s the schoolyard football conversation gone global for the internet generation. Once the word is out then Fieldoo.com will be massive.

It only takes 30 seconds to create a free account and from there the world is your oyster, or it would be if oysters played football. Encourage your friends to join as well and you can start your own local football social network and link it to football communities in far flung corners of the earth (Or closer to home if you wish!). This is your beginning as the life of a semi-pro footballer. Instead of having someone else do it for you, YOU decide which trials to attend, which clubs to send your CV to and which agents to contact.



One amazing function of Fieldoo is the ability to gain trials at professional football clubs. They currently have a fabulous opportunity to go on a trial with Almeria, a Spanish second division team. You can get the chance to train for 7 days with their top players. Almeria has a track record of nurturing young talent and they have produced players such as Alvaro Negredo (Valencia), Aleix Vidal (FC Barcelona) and Felipe Melo (Inter) in the past.

As with any social media platform, this will become more prevalent for players as they enter their teenage years. It’s from here that they can compare stats, photographs and their latest match with other young footballers from all over the world. The buzz and excitement that a young footballer will gain from this is immeasurable. It’s one thing as a British school kid to compare yourself against the best in your year, your school, your district or your league. Try taking that to the next level and finding players of your age to compare against from Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Italy, Spain or from World Cup winners Germany. The future networking ability of this platform are beyond measure – just look at the amount of hits football skills videos get on YouTube and multiply that by the fact that you can get to know about the players you are watching, wherever they are in the world.

The social aspect ramps up from here and is dependent only on the number of other, more traditional social media platforms that you are subscribed to. Want to showcase your latest match stats on Twitter? You can do that. Want to upload your promo video to Facebook? Yep, that’s possible too. How about Google+? Of course, that’s another link.

In my experience, it’s every young footballers dream to make it in the game. Reading about the humble beginnings of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo only inspires more. By having a presence on the top football social networking site, the chances of this happening can only increase. I can see a future for fieldoo as the managers of local teams look to the stats of opposition players for team preparation, tactics and recruitment purposes.



With Jamie Vardy making the leap from Semi-pro footballer in the non-league to the England team in a relatively short period of time, there’s a massive spotlight on the quality of players in the lower leagues. The big clubs are sending their scouting network out over the parts of the game that they ignored only a few years ago. The semi-pro leagues in England are awash with talent. There are players there who were let go from major clubs at academy or under-21 level, players that are on the way back from a career-threatening injury and players that will still make it into the professional game.

Semi-professional football is tough. Most players juggle a full-time job with fitness, training and matches, sometimes travelling long distances to play. The love of the game is a major factor in playing at this level but many will harbor dreams of making it. The ultimate dream is to do a Vardy” and go from the non-league to the top league, to swap a rainy Tuesday night in the North East of England to a balmy autumn evening with the England squad in Alicante, as Vardy has done recently.

To work, train, travel and play at once is a real handful for anyone. And it’s here where players can often end up concentrating on these time-consuming aspects of life and forgetting the networking that can enhance their career. This is where the football networking site fieldoo.com steps in. Once you’ve created your profile as a footballer you have a presence.  Football academies, scouts and coaches can check out your position, your top attribute, your career stats and how you got on in your last match. Networking in this way gets you a foothold in the world of football. It’s one thing having scouts from the big clubs starting to take notice of the semi-professional game but it’s another altogether to enable them to see you and what you can do on a network that puts them in touch with all aspects of your game.

The next step in the game and the next step on Fieldoo is to find someone who can enhance your career prospects while you are getting on with the rest of your life. Football agents are active on Fieldoo and finding the right agent is key to maintaining your footballing dream. Fieldoo enables football agents or intermediaries to build a network of contacts from all over the world to help their players build a career. It really is like the excellent functionality from your favourite football management game brought to life and applied to real people- the main real person that you want it to work for is YOU.

It’s all about taking that next step from semi-professional to professional football, and Fieldoo doesn’t stop there. If you’ve made it to the professional ranks then you still need to network.

Fieldoo has functions for the Pro footballer as well. If you have a career arc in the same shape as this article (from young footballer to semi-professional to professional footballer) then you may well take Fieldoo with you throughout your career. But even if you start with fieldoo as a professional footballer there are great functions on the website for you. Many people see professional football as the top few Premier League clubs and the riches of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney or Frank Lampard but the professional game in England stretches to League 2 and sometimes to what is currently known as the Vanarama National League. Not every player has a Roman Abramovic or the riches of Abu Dhabi to pay their wages, and the game is vibrant in the lower leagues. Clubs search for value for money as they attempt to balance their own books and keep an eye on financial fair play rules. And this is where a quality networking site will come into its own. I’ve read media stories of football clubs and their scouts using the Football Manager computer game statistics to start to look at potential transfer targets.  Why use a computer game when you can have access to the real thing? As a professional footballer, your career is relatively short and you need to make the most of every season and especially every move. The game is global, and opportunities are not just on your doorstep. When I was growing up, players used to play for their local club but now the opportunities to play for a top team in leagues all over the world are there, if only you could find them. Fieldoo enables you to find an agent, a trial, a coach or a club all in one place. Once you have a profile as a player and it’s updated with all the best parts of your game, the networking can commence. You can find an agent on the site and their contacts can open up opportunities for you in the game. The contacts on Fieldoo are verified by the site so you can contact with the confidence that you are dealing with the right people. The value of verified contacts is often in the news as players are asked for money to secure a trial with a club and then find that they have been conned out of their savings.



As a footballer of any level, Fieldoo can enhance your career. From the schoolyard to your local team, from semi-professional top professional footballer, there are large parts of the website that makes football more fun, more social and gives you more chance of making it.

Check out the main website
And the Almeria trial

The excitement levels at In Off The Post about fieldoo are off the chart!

As the author of In Off The Post, I always get the opportunity to look at different aspects of football. I look at the sublime, the interesting, the strange and the crazy. This week I take a look at a website that's recently come to my attention.

Excitement. That's the word that comes to mind when first browsing through the fieldoo.com website. I feel like a child again. It's like bringing the graphics, gameplay and thrill of a football video game into your real life. The slickest and best football video game on the market. The website is sleek modern and has functionality that other networking tools look at with envy. It's a cross between Championship Manager, FIFA 16 and Facebook. And this is exactly what fieldoo is and does - a networking (and social networking) site for the football community. It is a great network in itself and has uses for players, scouts, coaches, agents and clubs.



Part of the website is like Football Manager, where you can look up infinite details about any players you want to consider, studying the statistics and making considered decisions. But as a budding professional player you can put yourself on the other side of this equation. You can be the scouted player, the subject of other people's attention. The best way in which to do this is to set up your profile. This showcases who you are in the game by allowing you to upload-

  • ·         Promo Video
  • ·         Career
  • ·         Latest Match
  • ·         Press Clips or Cuttings
  • ·         Photos


Once you've set up your profile, updated your stats and uploaded your videos you've got that presence on fieldoo. You're then searchable to scouts, clubs and coaches. From there you've opened up a world of possibilities for your potential football career. You should update your stats as soon as possible after every game to ensure that your latest achievements are there for the world to see. Encourage your teammates to do the same. You can look deeper into the website by getting into the trials that fieldoo organise. Pitting yourself against other players is the ultimate test in football. And, amazingly, fieldoo can enable you to do this.

They currently have a fabulous opportunity to go on a trial with Almeria, the Spanish second division team. You can get the chance to train for 7 days with their top players. Almeria has a track record of nurturing young talent and they have produced players such as Alvaro Negredo (Valencia), Aleix Vidal (FC Barcelona) and Felipe Melo (Inter) in the past.

There's so much to see and do on fieldoo and I recommend that you look into the premium options to give you the best experience. To have the ability to do the extras will enhance what you get out if the site, such as-
  • ·         Being able to directly contact clubs and agents
  • ·         See who's viewing your CV
  • ·         Having your CV promoted

I recommend you check out fieldoo if you are a player, scout, agent or club. There's so much more to football networking if it's done via a top system like this. Give it a go!



fieldoo.com

Sunday 15 November 2015

I've found another gem in Soccer 360 magazine

So much is said and written about football. Newspapers have column inches to fill, Sky have built a media empire on its shoulders and websites churn out tens of thousands of words every week. What Dave Gorman refers to as "the bottom half of the internet" is awash with comment, banter and abuse. And all of this is before we start to scratch the surface of social media and all that is written there about the game we love. In some places, what is written is poor quality, derivate and offers nothing different.

In Off The Post looks for something different is this game we love. And I think I’ve found another gem.

I used to read Shoot and Match magazines when I was a kid, with basic short articles on players with an interesting story, and the back portion full of adverts including the obligatory Steve Earl football programme collectors adverts.

Just like In Off The Post, Soccer 360 Magazine is different. It looks at the game with different eyes. The magazine focuses on producing quality work and its success continues to grow, as it has recently published the 60th issue, stretching back to 2006. Soccer 360 is a creatively designed magazine and offers a unique extra large format size at 9.5” x 13.5”. This gives you a bigger, better experience and every page is in full colour. Its reach is global as it is available for digital subscription via the app or shipped worldwide to print subscribers. This marks out Soccer 360 Magazine over the alternatives.  Soccer 360 Magazine features the best of Premier League, MLS, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and all the other big leagues from around the world. Ongoing coverage includes the world’s biggest soccer events - the Champion’s League, Europa League, World Cup qualifying and Euro 2016.





Football fans want coverage of the biggest and best events, they want it in colour and they want it featured with insight and quality. Step forward, Soccer 360 magazine into the limelight. The magazine is over 100 pages per issue and this gives the writers the space to include quality articles about the players, teams and other aspects of the game in full. Being a magazine that is well-established and truly global gives them the opportunity to access the best players and the biggest names in the game. The 60th edition features Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic , Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho among others. This a wish list of the stars of world football for any reader and every issue is similarly jam-packed with the names of the game that you know and love (and sometimes loathe!)

If you are a discerning reader about football (and I would already assume that you are if you’re reading In Off The Post) then Soccer 360 Magazine is the one for you. I want to be able to bring something different to the readers of my blog every week and this magazine is another step in developing the ultimate football experience. Get in the know, get the app or subscribe to the magazine.

Check it out at-

http://www.soccer360magazine.com/



Sunday 8 November 2015

After 12 games of the season it's my part-season progress report

When Arsenal v Tottenham and Liverpool v Crystal Palace finish their games today, we will be at the 12-game mark in this season's Premier League. The international break is next so it's a good time to look at where things are and what might transpire between now and the end of the current campaign. The league table looks like this-

Premier League

Pos.TeamPGDPts.
1No movementMan City121726
2No movementArsenal111325
3No movementLeicester12525
4No movementMan Utd12924
5No movementWest Ham12721
6No movementTottenham111020
7No movementSouthampton12620
8No movementEverton12417
9No movementLiverpool11017
10No movementCrystal Palace11116
11No movementWatford12-116
12No movementStoke12-216
13No movementWest Brom12-614
14No movementSwansea12-413
15No movementNorwich12-712
16No movementChelsea12-711
17No movementNewcastle12-910
18No movementBournemouth12-138
19No movementSunderland12-136
20No movementAston Villa12-105

I'll start here with my awards for so far this season and my predictions for the end of the season.




Over achievers 
This is a close-run thing but I think that by virtue of having four more points, I'll give this to Leicester City over West Ham United. Mahrez and Vardy in particular have been great going forward but the thing that has put Leicester in their lofty position is their spirit. They just don't know when they are beaten.

Under achievers
This isn't a close-run thing at all. To go from comfortable champions to 16th place is terrible. It's never happened before. I put the blame squarely at the manager's feet. He has undermined the staff, upset the players, blamed everyone except for himself and disrupted a team that looked so unified last season.

Player of the (part) season
The exploits of Jamie Vardy have been remarkable but the stand-out player in the matches I've watched has been Dimitri Payet. His skill, running and vision have been a delight to watch and have transformed West Ham from average to very good.

Relegation candidates
I said at the start of the season that I thought Sunderland, Newcastle and Aston Villa would be relegated. I stand by two of these but I think that Newcastle United have shown enough progress under Steve McClaren to survive. Bournemouth have has a rotten run of injuries and I think that losing Callum Wilson is a blow they can't recover from.

Champions (and Champuons League)
I think that there many be a new face in next season's Champions League as I think Spurs can make the top four this year. In my opinion they will be joined by the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal. I think that Chelsea have left themselves too much to do, even at this relatively early stage. My tip for champions is Manchester City again, but I think that Arsenal and Manchester United will run them close and make it a fight right up until the last couple of fixtures. Sergio Aguero remaining fit will be the deciding factor as neither of the other clubs have a goalscorer that can compete with him.

Let's see how things go!