Guardiola and Klopp are right: English football would be improved by scrapping the EFL Cup and FA Cup replays January 28, 2020 Once upon a time cup ties, like any extra games, meant significant extra income for English football clubs. The FA Cup final, meanwhile, represented a unique chance to be watched around the world. The brutal truth is that, for Premier League teams, neither of the above are true any more: top-flight status ensures financial security [...]
Football’s data liberator: How smarterscout founder Dan Altman plans to bring stats to the mainstream January 28, 2020 Dan Altman has been many things. Economist. Best-selling author. British government advisor. Columnist. Consultant. Teacher. All of those occupations revolved around the use of data, and “after about 15 years” Altman, in his own words, “got a bit bored and decided to try something a bit different.” That boredom has seen the 46-year-old American turn [...]
Five conclusions from England’s thumping 3-1 series win over South Africa January 27, 2020 England bowled South Africa out for 274 on day four of the fourth Test in Johannesburg on MonsY to complete a 191-run win and wrap up a 3-1 series victory. Having gone 1-0 down at Centurion, the visitors surged back to dominate the next three Tests and earn only their second overseas series win in [...]
Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert give Aussies an extra reason to cheer on Australia Day January 27, 2020 Australians do like their holidays and they celebrate like no other nation – I’ve been there during horse racing’s Melbourne Cup and everything seemed to shut for two days. They had an extra reason to cheer at the weekend, when Aussies Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman marked Australia Day by winning on the European Tour [...]
Workplaces urged to crack down on ‘laddish’ football chat January 27, 2020 Companies should crack down on workplace chat about football and cricket amid fears it excludes women, a top management body has warned. Ann Francke, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, said sporting banter could divide offices and pave the way for more laddish behaviour. “A lot of women, in particular, feel left out,” she [...]
Shrewsbury 2-2 Liverpool: League One side’s comeback shows that the FA Cup is alive and well amid renewed questioning January 26, 2020 Teeth gnashing about the death of the FA Cup is nothing new. Every season there are opinions voiced and column inches filled by people mourning the decline of English football’s most historic cup competition. Nobody cares about it anymore, the argument goes. Premier League teams aren’t giving it the respect it deserves. Crowds are too [...]
South Africa v England: How Mark Wood battled injuries and lengthened his run-up to ease the strain on his body January 26, 2020 Before this week Mark Wood had not played consecutive Test matches since July 2017. As much as he wanted to, his body simply would not allow it. Since making his Test debut for England in May 2015, Wood’s career has been defined as much by injuries as his talent. This, after all, is only his [...]
Mike Ashley in talks to sell Newcastle United for £340m January 26, 2020 Retail tycoon Mike Ashley is in talks to sell Newcastle United football club to a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund for £340m. The billionaire owner of Sports Direct – recently renamed Frasers Group – bought Newcastle United in 2007 but is now in talks with a group led by British financier Amanda Staveley [...]
Saracens’ relegation from the Premiership is a sad moment for English rugby and salary cap rules must change as a result January 23, 2020 Saracens are being relegated and, putting the specifics aside for a moment, I think that is a sad state of affairs for English rugby. Former chairman Nigel Wray has apologised for his actions in failing to comply with the Premiership salary cap, but I have sympathy for him. In many ways what he did – [...]
South Africa v England fourth Test preview: Home captain Faf du Plessis under pressure both on and off the field as series reaches its climax January 23, 2020 How quickly things can change. After the first Test of the series against England in Centurion, South Africa were left to reflect on a first victory in six attempts in which Kagiso Rabada had taken seven wickets to settle their nerves and given the new coaching team a near-perfect start. Just under a month later [...]