Leeds United, Mike Tyson and… The Simpsons?
Now this is going to sound strange, but as unlikely as it seems, there really is a way of drawing a parallel between the once heavyweight champion of the world, the once champions of Europe, and the undoubtedly still champions of 6 o’clock television. Let’s start with Leeds United then. A team with an immense… Keep Reading
Monaco: A Fallen Giant Desperate to Rise Again
A giant of European football has fallen and is struggling to get back on its feet. Yes, Monaco’s va va voom has turned into a damp squib in recent seasons with the club slowing falling from heights it once peaked at. The decline at Monaco has quickly descended and there is real worry across the… Keep Reading
Solving England’s Midfield Puzzle for Euro 2020
As the international week gets under way, Gareth Southgate can be largely happy with the progress of his side since the World Cup. However, the midfield remains problematic. Southgate has switched from 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, and England now have a lot of options for the midfield trio but little time to decide who… Keep Reading
Newcastle fans – Is it time to give Steve Bruce a break?
Steve Bruce’s arrival at Newcastle United in July was met with a huge backlash from a significant proportion of Magpies supporters. The Northumberland-born Toon fan was low on everyone’s wish list (if he even appeared on any wish lists!) for the St James’ Park hotseat and thousands took to social media to ridicule his appointment.… Keep Reading
Once Upon a Time in… Burnley: Why Sean Dyche is Football’s Answer to Quentin Tarantino
On Friday, I went to watch “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” with my girlfriend at the cinema. If you haven’t seen it yet and don’t care for spoilers, then I can promise that this article will reveal nothing of importance to the film… but I can also promise that that is exactly what a… Keep Reading
Marcus Rashford: Expectation, Reality and Hunting for Good Will
I was going to open this plea for sanity with a philosophical quote about the virtues of patience or something similarly clever, but why overcomplicate things when something simple would suffice? That’s the sort of thing that keeps getting Marcus Rashford in trouble isn’t it? Manchester United’s home-grown line leader continues to polarize opinion as… Keep Reading
Matteo Guendouzi: The brightest spark in North London
Arsenal’s £175m front-three were starting for the first time. Tottenham were looking to bounce back after a dismal defeat to Newcastle. Eriksen and Mkhitaryan were potentially playing their last games for their respective clubs. And Xhaka was starting. Anything could’ve happened. But in what was a symbolic derby between the North London clubs, it was… Keep Reading
Premier League Analysis: Why can’t Crystal Palace win at Selhurst Park?
When Wilfried Zaha sent two Burnley defenders sprawling in vain to block a shot that never came in the 76th minute at Turf Moor on March 2nd, there was a certain inevitability about what followed next. Zaha, one of the Premier League’s most free-wheeling purveyors of chicanery, promised to shoot with his right, before breaking… Keep Reading
Barcelona, Independence and Ireland FC
(Article originally written and published in October 2017) “Hey, I will stand my ground And I won’t back down” Tom Petty (and Catalunya) Watching the Barcelona team make their way onto the pitch of the empty Camp Nou stadium at the weekend made for interesting viewing. The Las Palmas players didn’t seem too phased… Keep Reading
Get Shirty – Why are players booked for taking their shirts off?
(Article originally written and published in August 2017) I was sitting in the back pew at a funeral recently and my mind started to wander. I wondered if the average age of people who regularly went to church was now older than the average age of the churches themselves. In between trying to make imaginary… Keep Reading