Starting Eleven Football Blog Roundup

Time for some link love shout-outs to my football blogger peeps. In the spirit of the holidays, I have posted a picture of a hot elf chick. To any of my female followers and/or fellow bloggers, sorry.

• Any time I can lead off with sucky news about France, I'm all in. The calls are coming in fast and furious for Ray Domenach's head (Get your Babelfish out). Here's hoping he stays because the French hate him, and without him, they're probably a better team.
  
• In the interest of fairness, I post horrid news about Real Madrid and Portugal defender Pepe. Not a huge fan, but the guy has been a beast of late. All good things do come to an end; Pepe is out six months with an ACL injury (that's a bad knee baby). Will he make it back for South Africa? I'd doubt it.
• Soccer By Ives says Real Madrid wants Ricardo Carvalho. Perhaps they'll step up their efforts now with Pepe on the shelf. Might as well keep it in the country, I say.
• Perhaps my boy at Talking to Da Doll can explain why Keirrison, currently on loan to Benfica, is such a flop. So bad that ailing Liverpool doesn't even want he Barcelona prodigy. Also, Benfica has signed Vasco da Gama stud Alan Kardec, so says Da Doll.
• Whoa, stop the presses! Liverpool is about to make a January offer for West Ham's Scott Parker. No offense to the Hammers' reigning player of the year, but Liverpool's got bigger needs.
  
• The Big Lead has the headline of the day: Liverpool are lamer than a Jim Rome schtick. 'Nuff said.
• And if you like the Reds, by all means check out Oh You Beauty. He's working position by position on his Liverpool Team of the Decade.
  
• Final note on the Reds, your bid to secure the rooting interest of perhaps the greatest actor of our day has failed. (Personally, I'd prefer the great Kate Winslet.)
• More link love for Soccer by Ives, this time with a thoughtful commentary on U.S. college soccer and why it's so important to the American game.
• Our boy Jack Bell at the New York Times Goal blog ponders England's striker situation for the World Cup, especially in light of Michael Owen's penchant for scoring every time he's on the pitch.
• The EPL Talk home page just rocks today, but I'm selfishly interested in the first post about Fox Soccer Channel and THE NEED TO GET THAT BAD BOY IN HD.
• Catching up with MLS Rumors is always fun. The juciest from the past week or so is an item about Raul coming to these shores in the summer. Uh, not so much.
• Speaking of teams of the decade, Robbie Earle does one for World Football Daily. While we're on the subject, I'd love to know if any of you have subscribed to their show now that's it's pay-only?
• And finally, today's gratuitous WAG shot: The ex of Frank Lampard.
  

Subscribe to Starting Eleven