Exeter Chiefs are underdogs no longer – they must step up and end their European hoodoo in the Champions Cup November 21, 2019 This season is a big one for Exeter Chiefs. They are no longer an up-and-coming side who can rely on their underdog status to temper ambition. Saracens’ 35-point deduction in the Premiership means they are hindered both domestically and in the Champions Cup and Exeter really should be the team to benefit. Understandably, the Chiefs [...]
Why the Jose Mourinho appointment plays into the hands of Daniel Levy and Amazon documentary All Or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur November 21, 2019 This week’s abrupt sacking of Mauricio Pochettino and rapid arrival of Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur were not met by universal acclaim from the club’s fans, but there was one party who would have been delighted by the managerial movements in north London. Amazon’s decision to commission a documentary series on Tottenham’s 2019-20 season for [...]
Judy & Punch review: A traditional seaside puppet show turned #metoo revenge caper November 21, 2019 Punch & Judy, the Victorian puppet show about a child murderer turned serial domestic abuser who loves sausages, is an unlikely candidate for a gritty, live action remake. But this is 2019, all bets are off, and here we are. Set in the town of Seaside, which is nowhere near the sea, we find travelling [...]
Pokémon Sword and Shield review: A spectacular upgrade for Nintendo’s chart-topping series November 21, 2019 Pokémon’s creator GameFreak was uncharacteristically secretive during the development of Sword and Shield, the latest pair of monster collecting games in the world-dominating, 23-year-old franchise. Now it’s clear to see why the studio played its cards so close to its chest: the new games shake up the rulebook in a way that might have given [...]
Death Stranding review: Hideo Kojima’s game about delivering parcels hits dizzying highs and terrible lows November 20, 2019 There’s an entire genre of games disparagingly referred to as “walking simulators”. In most of them, walking is simulated in only the most rudimentary of ways – you tend to glide about the place, looking at sunsets and picking up fruit. Japanese auteur Hideo Kojima has created a true walking simulator, a game in which [...]
Hiring Jose Mourinho is a roll of the dice, but Daniel Levy must’ve felt keeping Mauricio Pochettino was the bigger gamble November 20, 2019 Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy doesn’t strike me as a gambler but his decision to sack the manager who took the club to a Champions League final and replace him with Jose Mourinho is a roll of the dice. On the face of it, Mauricio Pochettino’s departure is a surprise. While being 14th in the Premier [...]
Pochettino’s legacy may haunt his Tottenham successor after Levy takes unpopular but perhaps necessary action November 19, 2019 On 1 June Mauricio Pochettino had reached the high point of his managerial career and was ready to enjoy the culmination of five years of hard work. He had transformed Tottenham from also-rans into Champions League finalists. Today, just 123 days later, he was sacked. Poor results, 14 points from 12 games and a Premier [...]
Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham Hotspur sack manager after poor results November 19, 2019 Tottenham Hotspur have sacked manager Mauricio Pochettino after a poor run of results left them 14th in the Premier League table. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said club had been “extremely reluctant” to cut their ties with Pochettino, who joined the club from Southampton in May 2014. The club are without an away league win since [...]
Archer has the ability to be the difference on New Zealand’s flat pitches – if England use him cleverly November 19, 2019 England’s bowlers have been readying themselves for the first Test against New Zealand tomorrow knowing that they need to adopt a different approach to the one they use at home. It sounds like the Bay Oval pitch could be a flat one and England, who are used to a Dukes ball, swing-friendly conditions and Jimmy [...]
Determined, organised, patient: The makings of England Test debutant Dom Sibley November 19, 2019 An England Test debut has been a long time coming for Dom Sibley, and yet his timing could hardly have been more opportune. The string of unsuccessful England opening batsmen may stretch back a long way, to the retirements of Andrew Strauss and Sir Alastair Cook, but the change of tack from gung-ho head coach [...]