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East of Eden - John Steinbeck. I maintain it's his best, as did he, and is therefore the best book ever.

Squad number assignments are more exciting than actual transfers. I'm a big fan of Bayern Munich's squad numbering model. It goes against positional tradition which I usually prefer, but I dig that incoming signings get marquee numbers like Ribery 7, Lewandowski 9, Robben 10 and Costa 11, and players who come through the academy keep their squad number for as long as they're at the club. Lahm 21 Muller 25, Schweinsteiger 31, Kroos 39. That's neat. Similarly, I wanted Januzaj to keep the 44 shirt he wore in his debut season, but he took the 11 last year. Giggs' 11. Just took it, like it was nothing. A shirt that has never been worn by a United player with any other name above it, as Giggs' 11 predates named shirts in English football. Then he was shit. Not cool. Certain clubs in Serie A can go to hell too, with all these squad numbers in the 70s 80s and 90s. AC MIlan have just signed Carlos Bacca from Sevilla, and he has taken the 70 shirt. Shithouse. Go to hell. Go to hell. And you. Straight to hell. All hellbound. Hell. Now. Average squad numbers in Europes top 5 leagues: Solid efficiency from 4 of Europe's top 5 leagues, and then you have Serie A, taking the piss with their NFL bullshit. To hell. There's no finer sight in football than seeing a robust defensive midfielder wearing the number 6 shirt. It should be in the laws of the game. The sanctions imposed for breaching that law should be double relegation. Squad numbers are ace.