Wolves on course for Europa League, but is becoming the Premier League’s best of the rest worth it – or a poisoned chalice? March 28, 2019 Should Burnley manager Sean Dyche feel moved to dispense some characteristic no-nonsense wisdom to his opposite number this weekend, it might be of the be-careful-what-you-wish-for variety. Occupying the visitors’ dugout at Turf Moor on Saturday will be Nuno Espirito Santo, a rising star whose Wolves team have cut a dash in their first season back [...]
Trevor Steven: England have never looked so confident and Euro 2020 rivals will be taking note March 26, 2019 England winning qualifying matches is nothing new, but while we have seen emphatic scorelines in the past, they have not always been accompanied by emphatic performances. That is why Gareth Southgate and his players deserve such praise for Monday’s 5-1 victory in Montenegro and the 5-0 defeat of the Czech Republic at Wembley three days [...]
Sam Torrance: Paul Casey’s Valspar Championship win is another sign that European golf has never been stronger March 25, 2019 Is Europe taking over the PGA Tour? It’s a question worth asking after Paul Casey became the third consecutive player from this side of the pond to beat the Americans in their own back yard. On Sunday in Florida Casey outdid playing partner and world No1 Dustin Johnson, among others, to become the first man [...]
Montenegro v England: Harry Kane has gone from spearhead to link man in exciting new attack March 24, 2019 At the heart of England’s blossoming as an attacking force, which found its thrilling expression in Friday’s 5-0 win over the Czech Republic, lies a curious anomaly. Not since Wayne Rooney announced himself on the world stage at Euro 2004 has there been such excitement about the potency of forward talent in the national team [...]
England v Czech Republic: Silverware within reach if Gareth Southgate can make Three Lions more ruthless March 21, 2019 Hubris has pulled the rug from under England frequently enough to make any assumptions inadvisable but even the most cautious Anglo-Saxon will recognise that the qualifying process for the 2020 European Championship, which begins tonight, should present few hazards. The now-expanded finals and a revised path to the tournament proper ought to make it easier [...]
Ollie Phillips: Grand Slam winners Wales show England and Ireland the benefits of impeccable leadership March 21, 2019 Like most teams, England want to win the World Cup and become the No1-ranked side in rugby union. The dramatic conclusion of the Six Nations last weekend showed just how lofty those ambitions currently are. Eddie Jones’s side flew out of the blocks against Scotland and held a 31-0 lead after as many minutes, but [...]
Trevor Steven: Callum Hudson-Odoi may not have started a Premier League game but his England call-up makes sense March 19, 2019 Some players just stand out; everyone in the game knows they are a special talent and there is no split opinion about it. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who could make his England debut this week, is one of them. Having starred at age-group level for Chelsea’s successful youth teams and the World Cup-winning England Under-17 side, Hudson-Odoi [...]
Sam Torrance: Mature Rory McIlroy is calm, in control and ready to handle Career Grand Slam talk at the Masters March 18, 2019 Rory McIlroy was sublime at The Players Championship – leading virtually from the start and winning in style – but what impressed me most was the way he took it all in his stride. Having struggled on the front nine at times last week without necessarily playing bad golf, he had another difficult start to [...]
Formula One at a crossroads: Successful 2019 is key to keeping motor sport series on track March 13, 2019 In cars. It’s the only way to live, according to Gary Numan, post-punk’s foremost petrolhead. For decades, this attitude has ensured that motorsport, and Formula One in particular, has become a way of life for millions. But as the new season approaches, the sport faces a new wave of challenges and, to paraphrase the Tubeway [...]
Trevor Steven: It’s time for Mohamed Salah and Liverpool to show they are winners March 12, 2019 For a few minutes of Liverpool’s Premier League win over Burnley on Sunday I kept my eyes trained solely on Mohamed Salah. In that brief spell he must have lost the ball four or five times. In the previous game at Everton, Salah wasted a couple of one-one-one chances against Jordan Pickford in which he [...]