Football from the inside
The Guardian brings you a glimpse into the inner workings of the game
Alan Pardew should worry Newcastle may swap him for a French manager
Tor-Kristian Karlsen: Newcastle's squad of imports is underperforming badly and the owners may wonder if a French manager could improve them
Paolo Di Canio's arrival at Sunderland highlights need for manager scouts
Tor-Kristian Karlsen: Given how important managers are, it is remarkable that clubs do not research candidates for the job more thoroughly
Match-fixing to ensure a player is sold? It happens
Tor-Kristian Karlsen: I once went to a game where the player I was scouting was clearly allowed to do pretty much as he wished to impress me
Why Manchester City ought to stand by their manager Roberto Mancini
Tor-Kristian Karlsen: Under-pressure managers need the backing of the upper echelons – football has outgrown the idea that the success and failure of a club rests on the shoulders of one man
Football agents may have a bad name, but try getting along without them
Tor-Kristian Karlsen: Like them or loathe them, improving a club's lot is much more difficult without giving agents a hearing, a former Monaco chief executive writes in the first of a new series of columns
