Starting Eleven Football Blog Roundup

I frikkin' hate math. Makes my head hurt. Don't like algebra, geometry or long division for that matter. Statistics, however, interest me. They demonstrate trends, y'know, tangible stuff. If you look to the right of my page, you'll see a poll on essentially the player of the year for 2008. Right now, Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 94 of 235 votes. That translates to 40 percent of the vote. Fernando Torres is next with 40 votes, or 20 percent of the vote. Leo Messi is next with 31 votes (13 percent).

Now, granted, I know this isn't a scientific survey. The methodology is flawed since I don't know who's taking the survey or how many times you've voted; for God's sake, Other has more votes than Arshavin, Ballack and Villa combined.

But on Dec. 2 when the Ballon D'Or is handed out, it will be interesting to see how this informal sample measures up to the final result. As of this writing, there are a few more hours to vote, so chime in.

Now on to this week's jaunt around the football blogosphere:

• 101 Great Goals notices United's one-step-forward, two-steps-back dance it's doing this season. Question: Are United and Berbatov in crisis?
• Arsenal News Review is of little faith, even after Saturday's win over United. They're pegging Liverpool or Chelsea for the title.
• Arsenal FC Blog says the win was one part luck, one part desire.
• Soccerlens turns its lens (ugh) on the officiating in the Arsenal and Chelsea verdicts.
• Off the Post compares and contrasts Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp.
• Inside Soccer World has the recap from the Premier League.
• Soccer City FC looks at stats and Anelka; how kind of them to follow my theme.
• GoonersGuide takes a quick look at Serie A. Inter is on top alone after Milan's draw with Lecce.
• Football News Blog checks out the goings-on in Germany where Hoffenheim's stay at the top has been interrupted.
• FootballCupLeague checks out the Portuguese Cup derby between Sporting in Porto. Slumping Porto somehow beat Sporting on penalties after losing THREE men to red cards.
• Soccerblog has a short item on poor attendance numbers for the MLS playoffs. Woeful is a good word.
• Goal.com has a look at Real Salt Lake's passage to the semifinals (I will not call it what it is, the conference final).
• Only One Football chronicles the end of a dynasty; Red Bull knocked off Houston. Better question: Why is New York in the West? Can't MLS do anything right?
• NotAbbott points out what he learned from the Dynamo upset.
• Finally, to come full circle, EPL Talk has three points from the weekend.

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