Opinion

Claudia Romani doesn’t deserve your attention in a referee’s kit. In a bikini, sure. In a skin tight dress, yes. She’s a model, she gets paid for the attention that her looks garner. But I don’t care what tests or qualifications she may have passed; I don’t care if she would have been the hottest ref in soccer; this good looking woman is not a referee. She would have made a mockery of Seria A if she had been allowed to officiate a match.   

On the official Tottenham Hotspur website, the club invites you to support the side because “in a world full of Uniteds, Citys and Rovers there is only One Hotspur - Tottenham Hotspur.”  Spurs, undefeated in their last eleven matches dating back to the start of the campaign, are threatening to disrupt the established hegemony of familiar contenders. 

As we are in the midst of yet another two-week international break 12/38ths of the way through the English Premier League season (which Men in Blazers’ Michael Davies would insist we point out reduces to 6/19ths), we at The18 decided to look at the top five things that we have learned about the league so far this season.

Republic of Ireland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina | EURO 2016 Playoff 1st Leg

Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia

Friday, November 13th, 2:30 PM ET | ESPN 2 

Just due west of where the River Liffey enters the Irish Sea runs O’Connell Street. Heading north across the granite and portland stones of the O’Connell Bridge, connecting the North and Southsides of Dublin, your vision becomes dominated by a nearly 400-foot stainless steel pin rising and merging into the Dublin sky.

With the closing of the 2015 summer transfer window, many European clubs found themselves heading into the season with a worrying lack of options at the striker position. It wasn't for lack of trying, it simply seemed as though world-class European strikers were at a bare minimum.  

The classic, predatory center-forward, capable of providing a steady influx of goals in the box while constantly menacing the opposition's center backs, seems to have neared extinction. 

There are two certainties right now in the world of football:

#1: Louis Van Gaal and Manchester United could really use some consistent goal-scoring right about now.

#2: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is on fire.

If you look closely enough at Hernandez during one of his now frequent goal celebrations, you’ll see there’s a glint in his eye. You know that glint that says: “stuff it, Louis Van Gaal!”

Three weeks ago in London, Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League. This is not a particularly inventive sentence to start an Internet post, but it should be an attention-grabber nonetheless. Bayern Munich took this personally for some reason - “oh, so, a win against us on a Tuesday night constitutes a famous win?” - and got angry and took out their anger on the poor Gunners when Arsenal visited for the return leg. They bagged three before the half. They got five in total.

It’s a coaching nightmare. It’s the 89th minute and it’s 1-1. You’ve been working on passing drills all week, keeping possession and building your attack carefully to launch that final killer ball, but it just hasn’t quite been happening for you today.

And then Mr. Flash ignores everything you’ve been practising and sets off on a mazy dribble, beats half the opposition single-handedly and scores. How can you tell him that he’s ruining your system when he’s probably just won you the game? 

The FIFA Golden Boy award shortlist was announced and, surprisingly, it foretells of a European continent dominated by England, Belgium and, more traditionally, Spain.

With a whopping five nominations from each of these countries - the award is given to the U-21 player who displays the highest footballing prowess - the tides appear to be turning in Europe.