A 60-year-old foreign manager with a nomadic managerial career is drafted in by a club desperate to avoid returning to the lower league football which its fans had previously become accustomed to. It didn’t work out for Fulham and Felix Magath, and questions have to be asked whether it will work for Swansea City and […]
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Hammers expose Liverpool’s frailties
Two of the league’s least consistent sides met at Upton Park this weekend as West Ham hosted Liverpool. Prior to the match it was difficult to predict a winner with any confidence – would the West Ham that defeated Arsenal and Manchester City turn up, or the side that had won only one game in […]
Year of the managerial merry-go-round approaches
It may be six months until the end of the season, but football club owners are beginning to take stock of how the season is unfolding and it would be no surprise if a few were considering whether a new manager could bring a little more success. This summer it is likely that the three […]
Leicester set for testing winter
No one anticipated Leicester City would be top of the Premier League on 6th December and it would be fascinating to know what former manager Nigel Pearson, a man not knowing for doubting his own ability, makes of Claudio Ranieri’s achievement. While Louis van Gaal’s assessment that the club could win the Premier League title […]
England must play on
The authorities have made the correct decision to allow England’s match against France at Wembley to go ahead. The deployment of armed police at the stadium reflects the heightened tension in Europe following the attacks in Paris, but in the absence of information suggesting there is a specific threat to the friendly match, the decision […]
All Blacks likely to remain one step ahead
In the Rugby World Cup final the All Blacks defeated Australia 34-17 to become the first nation to retain the title. It was easy to empathise with Australia who played well, yet only looked like contenders when New Zealand were down to 14 men. While the sporting greatness of teams is inevitably cyclical, and several […]