Trevor Steven: Anticipation is what makes Erling Haaland a goalscoring machine September 1, 2022 I can’t remember anyone beginning life in the Premier League as well as Erling Haaland, who made it back-to-back hat-tricks and nine goals in five games for Manchester City in midweek. Plenty of people will have been waiting for him to fail and burst the hype that has long surrounded him. Instead he has stunned [...]
Ed Warner: Andrew Strauss, ECB and What It Takes To Win September 1, 2022 It doesn’t yet look like a camel, but Andrew Strauss’s committee to propel English cricket to the top of the world and keep it there has come up with a discussion document that doesn’t quite resemble a thoroughbred racehorse. Once it’s been through the wringer of consultation with the members of the 18 first class [...]
Private equity influx in rugby will not save entire club game August 31, 2022 It’s no new phenomenon to see sports clubs, which tend to be at the heart of the community they serve, face financial challenges and ultimately go under. But why is this happening in rugby when the sport has benefited from a flurry of private equity investment which is shaping the future of the oval-balled game? [...]
Luke Chadwick interview: Ex-Manchester United star out to change children’s coaching August 25, 2022 When Luke Chadwick joined Manchester United as a shy teenager it was not the culture of excellence so much as the welcoming environment that Sir Alex Ferguson had cultivated which made the biggest impression. United’s legendary manager favoured the personal touch, as Chadwick found before a trial match. “Sir Alex came into the dressing room [...]
Premier League clubs smash record with £1.5bn spend in transfer window August 25, 2022 Premier League football clubs are flexing their financial muscle by smashing spending records in the current transfer window, according to Deloitte. The £1.5bn spent by English top-flight teams is already more than in any previous window, with a week still to go until the 1 September transfer deadline. Clubs are also on track to make [...]
Decoding football’s transfer market: How can clubs reach objective player valuations? August 23, 2022 As football’s transfer window enters its final few days, one question certain to be at the centre of discussion is: how do you arrive at a fair and accurate valuation for a player? Is Everton’s young attacker Anthony Gordon, for example, worth the £60m that Chelsea are said to be willing to spend on him? [...]
Manchester United fans set to protest against Glazers before Liverpool match August 22, 2022 A Manchester United fans’ group is planning a protest against the club’s owners, the Glazer family, before tonight’s match with Liverpool. The move comes amid heightened speculation that the Glazers could sell some or all of United, which they have held since 2005. Supporters’ group The 1958 called on likeminded fans to join their March [...]
Trevor Steven: Eddie Howe and Newcastle can gatecrash the Premier League’s top six August 22, 2022 Pep Guardiola’s reaction to his Manchester City team dropping points on Sunday spoke volumes about the great strides Newcastle United have made. Far from being upset or concerned by the end of his team’s 100 per cent start to their Premier League title defence, Guardiola instead could only praise the Magpies. The City boss might [...]
Premier League: Title race back on as Newcastle hold Manchester City in thriller August 21, 2022 For a moment there it was looking like there might not be a title race, merely a Manchester City procession towards a third consecutive Premier League crown. But after Newcastle United gave them a torrid afternoon on Tyneside in a wildly entertaining 3-3 draw yesterday, City don’t look dead certs after all. Having taken a [...]
Manchester United takeover could cost $8bn (£6.7bn) but minority sale more likely August 18, 2022 Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, are more likely to sanction the sale of a minority stake but such a deal could pave the way for a full buyout costing as much as $8bn (£6.7m). That is the view of sports business experts following a surge in speculation that the Glazers could be persuaded to [...]