Academics find fairer format for penalty shootouts, but will football accept it? December 2, 2021 Football took a chance on the ABBA format in the hope of minimising the inherent unfairness of penalty shootouts, but that experiment swiftly met its Waterloo. Now, though, economists at Durham University have devised a new way of ordering penalty kicks that they believe could change the name of the game. They tested a score-dependent [...]
Ed Warner: Crouch review recommendations could drive Premier League away December 2, 2021 I really wanted to embrace the “fan-led” Tracey Crouch review of football governance in England. But with each turn of its 162 pages my heart sank further at the unmistakable sight of the heavy hand of Whitehall. The Crouch review’s recommendations revolve around the creation of an independent regulator for the sport. This displays a [...]
Rafa Benitez feels heat as struggling Everton prepare to host red-hot Liverpool December 1, 2021 A Merseyside derby represents a dangerous time for an Everton manager under pressure, as Marco Silva can attest. The Portuguese was fired in early December 2019 after suffering a 5-2 drubbing at Liverpool, the final straw in a run of eight defeats in 11 Premier League games. Two years later, almost to the day, Rafa [...]
Newcastle takeover optimism fizzling out as reality of relegation battle dawns November 30, 2021 The songs for Amanda Staveley have faded, the fake sheikh outfits dwindled in number and the #CANS of celebration long since been drained. Almost eight weeks on, Newcastle United’s takeover by a group led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has not had the immediate uplift hoped for at St James’ Park. It may arrive [...]
Trevor Steven: Teacher Ralf Rangnick will shake up Manchester United November 29, 2021 In a former life as a football agent, I once asked a German contact for some up-and-coming names in the Bundesliga. One of them was a forward-thinking coach, who I spoke to and made known to a few English clubs who were in the market for a new manager. None took up the chance to [...]
Ralf Rangnick confirmed as new Manchester United manager November 29, 2021 Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as their new manager until the end of the season. The influential German coach, whose arrival has been widely expected, will remain at the club after the summer in a consultancy role. “I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a [...]
Five things we learned this weekend: United show Rangnick hallmarks to hold Chelsea November 28, 2021 We may not yet know how much he influenced Manchester United’s approach in their 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday but their approach bore some of the hallmarks of Ralf Rangnick. Rangnick is expected to arrive at United this week to take up the role of interim manager until the end of the season, when [...]
Storm Arwen: Heavy snow writes off Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur Premier League match November 28, 2021 Today’s scheduled Premier League match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur has been called off due to heavy snow related to Storm Arwen. The game at Turf Moor was due to kick off at 2pm but the decision to postpone the fixture was announced 50 minute beforehand. “In these conditions it is not football. I want [...]
Record £3.2bn in private equity deals for sports teams as funds target football, rugby and F1 November 22, 2021 The last twelve months saw a record £3.2bn of sports team acquisitions by private equity funds, almost treble last year’s total, as they targeted football, rugby and Formula 1 teams, according to new data shared with City A.M. this afternoon. Last year saw an all-time high of 11 PE purchases of stakes in sports teams [...]
Solskjaer: Was it ever meant to be for the United legend? November 21, 2021 The writing has seemingly been on the wall for quite a while, and yesterday morning the Manchester United board made the final move in a game of managerial chess that, until recently, was at a stalemate. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is synonymous with Old Trafford. Over 200 appearances as a player for the Red Devils spanning [...]