Crystal Palace 0-2 Leicester City: Foxes show why a return to the Champions League looks increasingly likely November 3, 2019 They couldn’t do it again, could they? In the era of these Liverpool and Manchester City teams, probably not, but with every passing week Leicester demand to be taken more seriously. On Sunday they kept the bandwagon rolling at Selhurst Park, beating Crystal Palace in tidy and clinical fashion to make it three Premier League [...]
Manchester City v Southampton: Ralph Hasenhuttl faces real challenge to turn around sinning Saints October 31, 2019 When Ralph Hasenhuttl joined Southampton as their new manager on 5 December last year his first task was to fight fires. Saints were 18th in the Premier League and floundering, having become a listless identikit team under his predecessor Mark Hughes. They needed to be motivated, coached and saved from relegation. The Austrian achieved those [...]
Rugby Betting Tips: Ford and Farrell to steer the chariot home October 31, 2019 EDDIE Jones said from the start of his appointment as England head coach in 2015 to judge him on how his side perform at the 2019 World Cup. It is fair to say he’s been a success, with his team just 80 minutes away from their second Webb Ellis Cup. The Red Rose have been [...]
If Arsenal have to sack Unai Emery, at least they are finally well placed to manage the change October 31, 2019 However bad the team’s current malaise may seem for Arsenal supporters – and how much the Unai Emery-orchestrated on-field disarray might escalate – there is one element of the club’s recent evolution that offers some succour. Where once the Gunners looked rudderless at the very top, a club drifting under the distracted eye of an [...]
Why the Rugby World Cup could force up player wages and bring legal challenges to the sport’s salary cap October 31, 2019 When Japan and South Korea hosted football’s World Cup in 2002, it precipitated a significant increase in Asian investment in the sport. Takeovers of high-profile European clubs followed, as did multi-million pound Asia-only sponsorship deals with star players. With the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia about to conclude, this milestone could [...]
England v South Africa: Rugby World Cup final victory can top the achievement of 2003 October 31, 2019 It’s the eve of the Rugby World Cup final and I could hardly be more confident. England come into their clash with South Africa on the back of a near-perfect performance in the semi-final, while their opponents did the bare minimum to reach the showpiece in Japan. England were sensational in beating New Zealand 19-7 [...]
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal: Klopp’s side win on penalties as Mustafi and Keita flop and Ozil and Origi impress October 30, 2019 It’s probably unwise to draw any firm conclusions from a game that open, unpredictable and madcap but both Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery learned something about their players after making 11 changes to their starting XIs. Tonight’s match at Anfield was a contest for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and yet [...]
Chris Tremlett: Darren Gough is a perfect fit as England bowling consultant October 30, 2019 Darren Gough has been brought in by England head coach Chris Silverwood as a bowling consultant for the upcoming test series against New Zealand and I think it’s an appointment which makes a lot of sense. Former England bowler Gough may have spent his time in the media in recent years, rather than coaching, but [...]
England v South Africa: What previous meetings can tell us about this weekend’s Rugby World Cup final October 30, 2019 When pondering England’s Rugby World Cup final against South Africa on Saturday there is one obvious point of reference to consider. The two teams met in the 2007 tournament showpiece in Paris, where the Springboks kicked five penalties to England’s two in a 15-6 win remembered for Mark Cueto’s disallowed try. But whether Cueto’s foot [...]
Chelsea v Manchester United: Lampard showing Solskjaer how to succeed with a blend of youth and experience October 29, 2019 When a strike from Daniel James deflected into the back of Chelsea’s net to put Manchester United 4-0 up at Old Trafford in August, the road to rejuvenating his new side looked like being a long one for Frank Lampard. But just two and a half months on from that defeat on the opening weekend [...]