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
(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
I’m often accosted as a Chelsea fan with the fact that the last 15 years of success has largely been due to the deep pockets of Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. His purchase of the club in 2003, and subsequent billion-and-a-half pounds of investment, transfers and renovations have brought Chelsea, a mildly successful if not… Keep Reading
And so, the start is near. The Premier League will begin the 25th year of its life, and the most successful club in its history will be opening their trophy cabinet once again. ‘But why!?’, I hear you scream into your monitor. ‘United finished sixth (SIXTH) last year!’ or ‘Pogba completely failed to perform’ or… Keep Reading
The news of a secret meeting involving the five chief executives of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and the Manchester clubs, plus some American bloke whose name I can’t be bothered to remember, was completely innocent, about pre-season tours and certainly not about breakaway Super Leagues. Yeah right. How ironic it would be if the Premier League,… Keep Reading
What a season it’s been so far. “We know we’re having a strange year” Ranieri said. The understatement of the season. No one could have predicted that with 12 games left to go that Leicester would be sitting at the top of the League Table, even though everyone seems to have that one mate that… Keep Reading
When you’re getting ready for another weekend of English football starting at White Hart Lane today, cast your minds back 20 years, when Newcastle United (in January) were the best team in the country, Manchester City were heading down and Wimbledon were making up the numbers. How times have changed. This was the season of… Keep Reading
As has so often been proven, making pre-season predictions about league football is the most certain way for a journalist, blogger or pundit to make an absolute fool of themselves. Placing your words and reputation on the line before a ball has been kicked is, in 90% of cases, a true recipe for disaster. It… Keep Reading
cognitive dissonance noun PSYCHOLOGY the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioural decisions and attitude change. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I knew I was succumbing to a base atavistic urge by doing it but I didn’t care. I wanted immediate gratification. I wanted to be horrified and… Keep Reading
The Premier League has always forcefully marketed itself as the “Best League in the World”. And while football fans now widely consider that title to be untrue or maybe even jingoistic bluster, the crown of “Most Competitive League in the World” seems to have found its resting place on the EPL’s enormous bloated bonce. And… Keep Reading
