The football blog for fans of all clubs
The Christmas period is without a doubt the most testing part of any team’s season. The beginning of a league campaign is all about generating momentum, while the back end of a season is focused on rounding off with a positive run of form. However, the run of fixtures through November and December is the […]
It is intriguing to see just how quickly clubs can fall into a top-flight crisis. The Premier League is without a doubt one of Europe’s most competitive leagues, and it is a challenge for any team to gain promotion and avoid an immediate relegation scrap. AFC Bournemouth are a perfect example. Eddie Howe’s men won […]
A scrappy late winner from French forward Anthony Martial was just about enough to give Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils a first win in three over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. In a game of agonising missed chances mostly for the hosts, it would take 81 minutes for them to find the decisive […]
After claiming their first victory of the season in midweek with a 1-0 win over Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup, Crystal Palace will be looking to defy the odds and doing the same against Manchester City tomorrow. The travelling side will be in a slightly better mood on their travels to The Etihad not just […]
A late winner from veteran Jermain Defoe sealed three points of unprecedented importance for The Cherries, as they got off the mark and eased the pressure on Eddie Howe against The Seagulls. The tie was being dubbed as “The Southern Derby” and was the first time that Brighton and Bournemouth have met in The Premier […]
Match Report: Burnley vs Crystal Palace: Premier League Match Day Four 11th September 2017 New signing Chris Wood made it two goals in two games for Sean Dyche’s Burley with a third-minute strike to give his side all three points and put Eagles Boss Frank de Boer on the brink at Turf Moor yesterday afternoon. […]
Everyone’s had a few weeks to get used to the pace of the new Premier League season but there’s always a few team that struggle a tad early on. One of those teams is Crystal Palace who have failed to get a goal on the board this term let alone a point. The South Londoners […]
Date – Friday August 25 2017 Time – 11.00 a.m. Venue – Burnley F.C. Barnfield Training Complex An opportunity to attend a Premier league Press Conference and thanks to Chris Darwen, I am on my way! I have the email confirmation in my hand and I am part of a select group who will be […]
A fantastic strike from Australian international Aaron Mooy proved to be the difference in a clash of two Premier League newcomers at The John Smith’s Stadium, as Huddersfield Town continued the fairytale start to their first Top-Flight season in 45 years. The hosts, who had shocked Frank De Boer’s Crystal Palace 0-3 at Selhurst […]
An inspired Manchester City side struck twice in the second-half to condemn Chris Hughton’s Brighton to defeat in their first-ever Premier League clash at The Amex Stadium yesterday-evening. Pep Guardiola’s men, who had entertained the likes of Tottenham, Real Madrid and Manchester United in pre-season, fielded an excitingly strong line-up that included the rarity of […]
The short answer to this question is: we don’t know. In the 2016-2017 season, 69.2% of players in the Premier League were foreigners. FA chairman, Greg Dyke, wants to decrease this figure to 60% by ensuring clubs give increased first team action to English players. Steven Gerrard believes fewer foreign players in the league would […]
Premier League teams consistently show a lack of courage when it comes to playing young, homegrown players. The best sides in the league have invested millions in developing academy facilities to ensure they are equipped to support player growth to the highest standards. However, Premier League teams do everything right in finding and training young […]
Money has changed football forever. It swells from the pockets of everyone involved. Revenue of behemoth levels is generated from television broadcast deals, ticket and merchandise sales, and commercial sponsorship. Agents command huge fees for their part in transfers and have deeply vested personal interest in the outcome of negotiations. The players themselves earn huge […]
Anything can happen in football. Surprising events and results now happen so frequently we should expect the unexpected. Very rarely does a weekend of matches, or a tournament, pass without an incident requiring further dissection, analysis and discussion. Goal line decisions have been taken care of at the top level in recent months with the […]
We have seen and heard it thousands of times. Managers interviewed after games where their team has been beaten. Instead of saying “they were better than us,” or “our defence didn’t play well,” they do whatever they can to take the limelight, and the pressure off the players. This in part is gamesmanship. The art […]
Money makes the world go round. And in the eyes of many people it is the demon that sits on the shoulders of footballers. The one club players are now few and far between. Those that remain loyal to clubs are from a different generation of player. Youngsters moving through the game now are paid […]
When Pep Guardiola arrived at football’s richest club with a name badge declaring him as the ‘World’s Best Coach’ – success was sure to follow. Everywhere he goes he wins. So what better way for the red side of Manchester to respond than appoint the only manager that has gnawed away at Pep’s messianic reputation? […]
Ever heard of that classic Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Ugly Duckling? If not, here’s a quick recap (bare with me, there is a point to this…) Essentially, the story revolves around, yes, you guessed it, a particularly unappealing looking baby duck. It gets mocked, belittled and ridiculed for years, wallowing in self pity and […]
Troy Deeney is a known commodity and much has been written about him in his Watford career. Seeing him in person, however, reveals exactly why he is so valuable to Watford AND manager Walter Mazzarri, as well as why every Premier League team needs a player like him. My perspective was the manager’s one, however, […]
Image: skysports.com The season may be about to enter the business end of proceedings on the pitch but that has not stopped the rumour mill turning, with reports there could be significant change at Chelsea this summer. Diego Costa fell out with boss Antonio Conte earlier this year amid rumours that he was set to […]
