Paris Saint-Germain v Liverpool: Cash-rich French giants on the precipice of costly Champions League group exit November 27, 2018 The fact Paris Saint-Germain commissioned Nike and their Jordan Brand subsidiary to create a new kit for the Champions League this season tells you a lot about the club. But the fact the French giants are one game away from exiting the tournament which acts as a catwalk for their marketing efforts tells you everything [...]
Trevor Steven: Claudio Ranieri’s experience and personality has given Fulham a fighting chance of staying up November 27, 2018 You never want to see people lose their jobs but I’m happy that Claudio Ranieri is back in the Premier League, tasked with lifting Fulham off the bottom of the table. I felt sorry for Slavisa Jokanovic, the man he replaced last week, who got off to a difficult start and never managed to adapt [...]
Champions League: What do Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool need on matchday five? November 26, 2018 English clubs return to Champions League action this week in the hope of securing their places in the last 16, although that task is looking a good deal easier for some than others. Here is what is at stake for Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool on Tuesday and Wednesday. Man City: The Premier League [...]
Second-half stars Arsenal find a way to win again – with a little help from Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma November 25, 2018 It can be hard to know what to make of Arsenal’s performances since the summer arrival of Unai Emery and Sunday's 2-1 Premier League win at Bournemouth was no different. On the one hand, an own goal from Jefferson Lerma and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s close-range strike extended an unbeaten run that stretches back to August to [...]
Is Tottenham’s thrashing of Chelsea a sign that Mauricio Pochettino has got Spurs to peak the right time this season? November 25, 2018 If Tottenham supporters have had reason to gripe this season then the most compelling cause must be the ongoing delay to completion of their new stadium, which has left fans in a state of limbo. If they have had a second reason to gripe then it may be that, despite putting more points on the [...]
Southampton’s slump: where has it all gone wrong for the Premier League’s model club? November 22, 2018 “Sometimes you just need something to fly off somebody’s head, it flies past the keeper who can’t do anything about it and you’re off and running.” Mark Hughes is convinced Southampton aren’t far off turning things around. They just need some good fortune, some decisions to fall their way, some momentum. That is the stage [...]
John Barnes interview: People want perfection but football isn’t like that November 22, 2018 When the two teams closest to his heart meet in the Premier League on Saturday, Liverpool and Watford great John Barnes knows what result he is expecting. “Of course it's going to be a hard game because Vicarage Road is a tough place to go. It's going to be an interesting game but hopefully it's [...]
EFL TV deal: Why Championship clubs are revolting against new £595m Sky broadcasting agreement November 21, 2018 There is a revolt brewing in the second tier of English football. Rather than being met with acclamation, the announcement on Monday that the EFL, which represents the three divisions below the Premier League, had signed a new record £595m, five-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports was greeted by anger from within. As an important [...]
Trevor Steven: England are burying their inferiority complex and Nations League success can accelerate the process November 20, 2018 As a footballing nation, England cannot expect to be winning every international tournament; all we can really ask is that the team is competitive – and we have achieved that now. Sunday’s victory over Croatia, which sent England into next year’s Nations League Finals, was further evidence of the development seen at the World Cup [...]
England break from past by learning from mistakes to overcome Croatia November 18, 2018 Among the many painful aspects of England’s failings over the last three decades has been the tendency of the most promising teams to repeat the same mistakes tournament after tournament. At both the 2004 European Championship and the 2006 World Cup, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side departed on penalties to Portuguese opponents who, while gifted, outsmarted more [...]