Mikael Silvestre interview: Cut-throat Solskjaer’s neck shouldn’t be on the line November 4, 2021 Under-fire Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job should not be on the line in Saturday’s derby against Manchester City, says former Old Trafford team-mate Mikael Silvestre. Criticism of Solskjaer reached fever pitch after last month’s 5-0 humiliation at rivals Liverpool, and subsequent results – a win over struggling Tottenham Hotspur and the last-gasp draw [...]
Squeezed out by club and country, sparkling cameos may not be enough to win Jesse Lingard a place in England World Cup squad September 6, 2021 Bukayo Saka may have made the most heartwarming contribution to England’s 4-0 win over Andorra on Sunday but Jesse Lingard’s was the most potent. The Manchester United attacking midfielder scored twice yesterday, breaking the visitors’ resistance early on and adding England’s third with a characteristically confident finish from 18 yards. Lingard might have had a [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo completes Manchester United return for initial fee of £13m August 31, 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo has officially completed his return to Manchester United from Juventus on transfer deadline day for an initial fee of €15m (£13m). The Italian club confirmed the terms of the blockbusting transfer this morning. The fee could rise to €23m if Ronaldo and United hit certain targets. United announced the completion of the deal [...]
Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City among Super League rebels to return to European Club Association August 16, 2021 Nine of the rebel football clubs who agreed to join a breakaway European Super League – including six Premier League sides – have rejoined the European Club Association (ECA). The teams renounced their memberships of the influential group, which represents more than 200 of Europe’s leading clubs, as part of their decision to join the [...]
£100m Jack Grealish: How most expensive signing in Premier League history compares to biggest transfers of all time August 5, 2021 Jack Grealish has become the most expensive signing in Premier League history after completing his £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Grealish is also the most expensive English player ever to be traded, and the eighth most expensive transfer of all time. The England attacking midfielder, 25, shone for England as they finished [...]
Socios: The blockchain-enabled fan token platform promising to unlock revenue from the global fanbases of sport’s most famous teams July 31, 2021 Football’s transfer market may have lacked headline-grabbing deals so far this summer but the same can’t be said for Socios. The platform, which sells “fan tokens” offering supporters the chance to influence decisions at their team, has instantly increased visibility with a clutch of major partnerships. Last week Socios announced the launch of an Arsenal [...]
Exclusive: Vegan footballer Chris Smalling invests six-figure sum in plant-based meat company Heura June 3, 2021 Former Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling has become an investor in plant-based meat company Heura. Smalling, who switched to a vegan diet five years ago, is understood to have invested a six-figure sum in the Spanish brand. “Backing from a top athlete like Chris further bolsters Heura’s nutritional credentials, which are second to none,” said [...]
Europa League final: Why stakes are high for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United against Villarreal May 25, 2021 By reaching the Europa League final and finishing second in the Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has delivered the necessary progress to keep his job. But that doesn’t mean that the stakes aren’t high for both Solskjaer and Manchester United when they meet Villarreal in Gdansk on Wednesday night. Like a lot of people, I [...]
A significant skirmish in an intensifying war: How player power helped bring the European Super League to its knees April 23, 2021 James Milner seemed to speak for many Premier League players and managers when he said on Monday: “I don’t like it and hopefully it doesn’t happen.” The Liverpool midfielder was referring to the European Super League, the audacious and ultimately short-lived breakaway launched by 12 of Europe’s richest football clubs just hours earlier – including [...]
Jose Mourinho: Would sacked Tottenham boss be entitled to unfair dismissal? April 22, 2021 As Gary Lineker pointed out this week, it has been a good time to hide bad news in football, with the announcement of the European Super League and the fallout which followed. And so, Jose Mourinho’s departure as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur has largely fallen under the radar. Mourinho would fail to meet the [...]