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		<title>ESPNFC.com - mondaymusings</title>
		<link>http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings</link>
		<description>ESPNFC.com presents mondaymusings</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright><![CDATA[Copyright &copy; ESPN Internet Ventures]]></copyright>
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			<title><![CDATA[Mancini's halted progress, praise for Barca, Ferguson and Rooney, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 13 May 2013 16:06:04 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti ]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/380]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Managers get sacked for different reasons. We're told results are all that matter, but that's a rather short-sighted perspective.  Take Jurgen Klopp. He's one of the hottest bosses in the game, one of the few who can write his own ticket. Yet had Felipe Santana been (correctly) flagged offside against Malaga, to those who only pay attention to results he'd be little more than the eccentric Borussia Dortmund coach with the hair transplant who got knocked out of the Champions League by an insolvent club and who finished 20-odd points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[380]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Juventus cap brilliant season, David Luiz's 'smile,' bad blood between Bayern & Dortmund]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 06 May 2013 15:48:35 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti ]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/368]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Juventus clinched their second straight Serie A title Sunday. You knew it was coming, and the Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich took off some of the gloss in the eyes of some. But, really, it shouldn't have.  Beyond winning things, what you look for year after year is forward progress. You can't always measure it with numbers (though this season, to some degree, you can: Juve will likely finish with more points and more goals scored than they recorded last season). It's more a question of the "eye test.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[368]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Arsenal at a familiar crossroads, Atletico's shot at redemption, Zanetti's injury, more ]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:36:24 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti ]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/357]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Arsenal looked rather tame Sunday against a Manchester United side which, understandably, displayed a post-title (and perhaps post-title celebration) sluggishness. Yet even with the visitors taking some time to find their feet and conceding an early (offside) goal, the Gunners failed to capitalize. With neither team sparkling, it was United that arguably carved out the better chances in the 1-1 draw.   Yet here's the thing. We can all note United's superiority to Arsenal this season. And we can all identify the Gunners' evident weaknesses this season.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[357]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Suarez bites, Mourinho's dilemma, Milan's mess, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:30:17 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/349]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[What's done is done.  We could be talking about Rafa Benitez's return to Anfield, a dramatic last-minute equalizer, two potential red cards that went unseen (Fernando Torres' elbow and Daniel Sturridge's high boot), Chelsea's hunt for a Champions League spot amid fixture congestion, plus Liverpool's long, slow rebuilding job and how much better they are (or -- depending on your view -- are not) compared to this time last year under Kenny Dalglish.  Instead, one thread dominates: Luis Suarez biting Branislav Ivanovic and its inevitable repercussions.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[349]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Credit to Arsenal, but problems persist; brilliant Bayern; Spurs sputter; Inter seethe, more ]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:15:11 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti ]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/340]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Funny how a season can go. Not that long ago, many were calling for manager Arsene Wenger's head. Heck, many still are. And yet, with a game in hand and a relatively straightforward run-in -- Manchester United aside -- there's a very good chance Arsenal could finish third, just like last season, and with roughly the same points, if not more.  Which, on paper, is pretty good when you consider what the Gunners have had to overcome. In no particular order:   &#x26;#8226;  Robin Van Persie, their best striker since Thierry Henry, leaves in the summer, as does Alex Song, a fixture in the middle of the park.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[340]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Chelsea's grit, Messi's goals, Di Canio's hire, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:18:58 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/325]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Too often we assume that turmoil means you can't produce anything good, and Chelsea's travails this year are well-documented.  A manager whom most of the fans -- and some of the players -- don't like. A club captain forever in controversy and whose future at the club in uncertain, plus a legendary longtime midfielder whose contract is winding down with no sign of an extension. A trigger-happy owner who seems to change his mind on a whim. An expensive center forward who, by all accounts, has been one of the biggest duds relative to transfer fee in recent history.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[325]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[The Ferdinand flap, Pandev's 'ballot,' Costa Rica's protest, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:45:16 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/318]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[It wasn't too long ago that folks thought Rio Ferdinand's England career was over. Over the past six months he has shown that he can still contribute for his country, especially given the fact that the Three Lions aren't exactly six-deep at centre half. That's why Roy Hodgson called him up to face San Marino and Montenegro. But then, as Hodgson himself explained, Ferdinand pulled out of the squad due to the "detailed pre-planned training and medical programme he must follow."  Fine. Makes sense. Ferdinand is 34, needing to take care of his body, and maybe England don't need him against San Marino and Montenegro.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[318]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Man City and United should start to rebuild, Mourinho's plan B, RvP's slump, more  ]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:03:45 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti ]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/308]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Barring some kind of divine intervention, the title race is over in the Premier League. Indeed, some bookmakers have already started paying out.  The gap is 15 points, with nine games to go. But given Manchester United's sizeable edge in terms of goal difference (plus-38 to plus-25), it's basically a 16-point margin. What this means is that, realistically, to defend their title, City would have to win at Old Trafford AND somehow make up 13 points in the other eight games. Draw away to United and you're looking at 16 points in eight matches, which is basically a purely theoretical chance and nothing more.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[308]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Fergie gets it wrong, Barca's test, Juve's title, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:32:36 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/291]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Sometimes, you get things wrong. Badly wrong.  Sir Alex Ferguson was given a pass following last week's Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid and you can see why: until Nani's red card, his plan worked. You can debate the failure to adjust afterward but you can give him the benefit of the doubt.  However, Sunday was a different story. United were gifted two goals at home by the soft center of a Chelsea defense devoid of John Terry (coach's decision equals ask Rafa). Two up at home means the sound of the doors being bolted shut at Old Trafford.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[291]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[United and Real prepare for battle, the North London gap, praise for Francesco Totti ]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:10 PST]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti ]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/281]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Both Manchester United and Real Madrid recorded wins heading into Tuesday night's cosmic clash at Old Trafford, albeit in different circumstances.  Sir Alex Ferguson chose an XI that, apart from a couple of likely changes, looked a lot like the one we might see at Old Trafford.    Maybe they were thinking ahead in the first 45 minutes; whatever the case, it took United the best part of the first half to get going, not least because Norwich defended very well. Once they did, as so often happens, they were devastating, with Shinji Kagawa netting a hat-trick and Wayne Rooney conjuring up an absolute pearl of a goal late in the game.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[281]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Milan derby, Mancini's mentality, Beckham is back, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:07:33 PST]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/272]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Sunday night's Milan derby left two enduring impressions. The rossoneri are still growing but there's a long way to go, especially in certain areas of the pitch. And if you're an Inter fan, you shudder to think where the team would be this year without the signing of Samir Handanovic.  Milan dominated the first half and could easily have scored three or four, if not for Handanovic's heroics. Inter simply had no answer, particularly down Milan's left, where Mattia De Sciglio and Stephan El Shaarawy ran rampant.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[272]]></guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Kroenke's move, Napoli's missed chance, Real's defense, more]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:02:42 PST]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Gabriele Marcotti]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/mondaymusings/id/262]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Boos echoed around the Emirates following Arsenal's FA Cup elimination on Saturday at the hands of Blackburn Rovers. It was the first time in the Arsene Wenger era that the Gunners were knocked out of the FA Cup by lower-league opposition. And it meant that, barring some superhuman feat in the Champions League, Arsenal will -- once again -- finish the season without a trophy.  That was enough for all the usual long-standing complaints to come to the fore. Top players seemingly leaving year after year.]]></description>
			<guid isPermalink="false"><![CDATA[262]]></guid>
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