Trevor Steven: Chelsea must rise above off-field uncertainty against Real Madrid April 5, 2022 Chelsea go into their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid in a uniquely challenging position, because of the sanctions placed on their owner Roman Abramovich. Having been in a comfortable position for so long, there is now uncertainty surrounding the future of the club which will be affecting it from top to bottom. Until it [...]
Trevor Steven: PSG’s variety of goal threat gives them edge over Real Madrid March 8, 2022 Paris Saint-Germain take a slim lead to Real Madrid on Wednesday in an epic Champions League last-16 tie and a clash between potential winners of this year’s competition. PSG have spent the last decade bedding in at the top of European club football, reaching the final in 2020 and the semis last year, and are [...]
Trevor Steven: Kylian Mbappe has emerged as the heir to Messi and Ronaldo February 16, 2022 Kylian Mbappe’s stunning individual goal in Tuesday’s Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid did a lot of things all at once. For PSG, it made a big difference to their chances of winning this last 16 tie. For Mbappe, meanwhile, that goal lifted his standing in the game and his confidence even [...]
Trevor Steven: Strong character Lampard is a positive choice for Everton January 31, 2022 As an Everton supporter, I am optimistic and excited about the appointment of Frank Lampard as manager. Lampard is a strong character. As the son of a famous footballer and a player for Chelsea and England, he has been in a hot-seat of sorts for most of his life. For Everton, having not seemed clear [...]
Trevor Steven: Supply teacher Rafa Benitez was never right fit for Everton January 17, 2022 Watching them lose at Norwich City on Saturday made me realise that Rafa Benitez’s Everton were in crisis. It was the first time I had worried about their prospects for the rest of the season, the first time I thought that there was nothing left from this group of players under that manager. Although we [...]
Trevor Steven: Remaining Premier League drama lies in top four race January 12, 2022 Manchester City’s visit from Chelsea on Saturday is shaping up to be a Premier League title decider for at least one of the teams involved. City have really stepped on the accelerator over the last month while the two sides hoping to dethrone them, Chelsea and Liverpool, have begun to lose touch at the top. [...]
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 [...]
Trevor Steven: England have mojo back as World Cup countdown begins November 16, 2021 As we’ve come to expect from Gareth Southgate’s England, they completed a very comfortable qualifying campaign for the Qatar 2022 World Cup with a flourish this week. While Monday’s 10-0 walkover in San Marino grabbed the headlines, a better benchmark of their performance came in Friday’s 5-0 win against Albania. England have got their mojo [...]
Trevor Steven: Jack Grealish and Phil Foden can carry England to glory at Euro 2020, but they’ll have to beat classy France June 8, 2021 In preparation for this column I tried one of those Euro 2020 predictors and, after I’d had a stab at guessing all the results, the final I got was France v England. The process was by no means a science, but the outcome isn’t too far off what I imagine will happen over the next [...]
Trevor Steven: Gareth Southgate may regret naming four right-backs in England squad for Euro 2020 instead of Jesse Lingard or Danny Ings June 2, 2021 On the face of it, it’s difficult to work out why Gareth Southgate has named four right-backs in his England squad for Euro 2020. While Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all talented players, each is also taking up a space that could have gone to someone else. If only two [...]
