England should not fear South Africa’s physical but one-dimensional style in World Cup final October 27, 2019 Back in the pool stage, the consensus was that England would be taking the hardest path to the Rugby World Cup final. Finishing top of Pool C meant being in the same side of the draw as New Zealand, the No1 side in the world and winners of the last two tournaments. Now, having overcome [...]
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Aurier and Eriksen poor as Alexander-Arnold and Salah shine for league leaders October 27, 2019 It wasn’t straightforward, but the Liverpool juggernaut rumbles on at the top of the Premier League. Tottenham came to Anfield with a clear game-plan designed to suppress the hosts and Harry Kane’s header after just 47 seconds gave them the opportunity to implement it. But, as they keep doing, Liverpool found a way to win. [...]
VAR wars deflect from Unai Emery and Arsenal’s woes; Frank Lampard the genius; Leicester outfoxing all over October 27, 2019 An exercised Unai Emery pointed, with some justification, to two video assistant referee interventions to explain why Arsenal lost a two-goal lead and drew 2-2 at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday. “For me, VAR is positive, but we need to manage it in the right way,” said the Gunners manager. “At the moment to [...]
Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits at the Royal Academy review: There’s genius at play, but it’s shrouded in darkness October 25, 2019 Wandering through the life of Lucian Freud, from awkward teen to darkly handsome young man to disheveled old artist, I was reminded of Nietzsche’s famous line, “If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” The longer you spend in the presence of Freud’s self portraits, taking in their raw, [...]
Bridget Riley at Hayward Gallery review: Art meets psychology in this brain-bending exhibition October 25, 2019 Bridget Riley, one of the defining figures in the op art movement of the 1950s and 60s, was as much a psychologist as she was a painter. Her works aren’t really about what’s on the canvas (although her flawless brush strokes are certainly nice enough) – they’re about the sensations they provoke, the strange, hypnotic [...]
Why The Apprentice is actually really good for business October 25, 2019 Last week, Matt Clifford was lambasted by Lord Sugar on Twitter for his piece in City A.M. on why The Apprentice is bad for business. But having watched the past 15 series of the UK version of the show, there are many positives about the programme. The business world is constantly changing, but the fundamentals [...]
Liverpool v Tottenham preview: Mauricio Pochettino must refresh stale Spurs squad to lift the current malaise October 24, 2019 If Red Star Belgrade at home was the perfect fixture for Tottenham in their current state, Liverpool away is the polar opposite. Jurgen Klopp’s side might have dropped their first points in the Premier League this season against Manchester United last time out, but they remain imposing at Anfield where they haven’t been beaten in [...]
Ajax 0-1 Chelsea: Lampard’s stock rises as solid Blues take a big scalp in Amsterdam October 23, 2019 Youthful exuberance is a phrase which has generally defined Chelsea’s 2019-20 season so far under Frank Lampard. With a former player in charge and a transfer ban in effect the Blues have called back youngsters from loan deals and integrated them into the first team. That has lead to a lot of excitement and impressive [...]
Chris Tremlett: We need to change our mindset to make The Hundred a success October 23, 2019 I watched about an hour of The Hundred draft on Sunday evening before I fell asleep. The concept was good, but I found it long-winded and boring. The interviews were generally inane and some of the players looked like they didn’t want to be there. When The Hundred was first announced I was in the [...]
Tottenham 5-0 Red Star Belgrade: Kane, Son and Lamela run riot to rejuvenate Spurs October 22, 2019 Red Star Belgrade were exactly what Tottenham required after being shaken by a terrible run of form. Colchester, Bayern Munich, Brighton and Watford were not forgotten – not yet – but for 90 minutes Spurs fans were able to enjoy their side running riot against a wide-open, error-prone and haphazard opponent. Tottenham’s first Champions League [...]