Prior to last summer’s triumph England’s best run in the Under 20 World Cup came 24 years ago when David Burnside lead the Three Lions to third place in Australia. So who were those young lions and how do they compare to the class of 2017? The Tournament England arrived Down Under in March 1993 […]
Month: January 2018
UEFA Nations League: Why fans should care
Tomorrow night sees the inaugural match of the UEFA Nations League takes place with, with Germany facing new World Champions France in Munich. The competition has yet to create much excitement amongst fans of any European national teams. The football press in Britain has been particularly scathing ‘Stay as far away from this as possible,’ […]
World Cup Managers enter nail biting season
On Friday Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson confirmed Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s ankle injury is worse than originally reported and may require surgery. Asked if Loftus-Cheek would be fit for the World Cup, Hodgson responded with the unscientific answer ‘I don’t know.’ With the World Cup 4 months away every weekend between now and mid May will […]
England Manager World Cup to do list- updated
Back in the summer I wrote what priorities Gareth Southgate had a year out from the World Cup, six months on what has been accomplished and what remains? New Season- England manager’s to do list Pick a Captain. As I’ve said before the importance of the captaincy is grossly over- exaggerated, but an army of […]
World Cup Squad update: Who’s hot and who’s freezing over
It’s 4 months until England name a provisional squad for Russia 2018 and things have changed quite a bit since the November internationals, so here are the movers and shakers amongst those not yet guaranteed a World Cup spot. Jesse Lingard Who’d have thought this- Jesse Lingard: lethal number 10! At the start of December […]
Spark out in Stoke: Hughes has finally gone
Such is The Premier League merry-go-round that no sooner had a pair of ‘solid football men’ (media speak for uninspiring and limited) reappeared at Everton and West Brom another departed in Stoke. Mark Hughes’ sacking at the Britannia Stadium ultimately felt like a mercy killing. It was understandable after Tony Pulis’ hoof-ball had secured Stoke’s […]
Barkley’s big chance
On Friday and 4 months late Ross Barkley finally joined Chelsea. At his unveiling Chelsea Director Marina Granovskaia beamed a huge smile as Barkley put pen to paper and with good reason- she’s got an absolute snip bagging the Everton midfielder for £15million. In the week a certain other attacking midfielder left Merseyside for almost […]
A Season in need of the FA Cup
Tonight sees the third round of the worlds oldest cup competition get under way. Recent years have not been too kind to the FA Cup- the competition no longer represents the pinnacle of the club game with the increasingly powerful Premier League and the expanded Champions league now seen as the major prizes for England’s […]
Wilshere back in the fold?
It’s the year 2030 and pundits are still arguing whether or not England should recall Jack Wilshere; Never have so many words been typed by so many about someone who played so little. It’s often felt that way with Wilshere a player who’s natural gifts on the pitch far exceed his English contemporaries but whose […]