Rogers bucks the trend
It would seem ridiculous to compare a man coming to Test cricket so late in life and scoring his maiden test century at the ripe old age of 35 with the one of the modern greats, but there was much in...
View ArticleListen, listen, the Bell tolls for Australia
A finely balanced Test match swung back in England’s favour yesterday as a fine century from Ian Bell gave the hosts a lead of just over 200 runs with five wickets remaining. It has become a cliche...
View ArticleEngland’s Broad margin of victory hides cracks in the squad
3-0 with a Test to play, and England have been comfortable winners of the Ashes, or have they? While the batting in particular has not been of a classic Ashes standard, it has been a hugely intriguing...
View ArticleEPL: Blue ribbons on the trophy?
This summer has proven to be a huge phony war with the biggest ‘transfers’ looking to be non starters. Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez, Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale are all still with their employers of...
View ArticleA great result for Arsenal, hopefully
And no, Arsenal, we are not being sarcastic. The Gunners with Arsene Wenger at the helm have had yet another unsatisfactory and downright inept summer in the transfer market. Hopefully for...
View ArticleMourinho back like he was never away
The natural order of things appeared to resume at Stamford Bridge with a strong Chelsea team overwhelming their opponents in the first half hour and racing to a 2-0 lead. After half-time against Hull,...
View ArticleOval Test so much more than a dead rubber
England have a pretty decent record against Australia at the Oval. They also have a pretty good record against Australia in dead rubbers, the only difference this time is they are not the ones bringing...
View ArticleAustralia will regain the Ashes down under
It is possibly hugely typical of a sports fan who has for so long followed English cricket and Scottish football that pessimism is not just endemic, it’s automatic.. Losing was always a national...
View ArticleManchester United vs Chelsea: So much more than three points on offer
It is only three points that are up for grabs on Monday night for Manchester United and Chelsea. Much of the talk however will invariably centre around a few choice individuals as the current champions...
View ArticleTwo huge EPL rivalries suffering long disparities
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are two famous clubs with history laiden with silverware and famous names such as Glenn Hoddle, Jimmy Greaves, Paul Gascgoine, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and Kevin Keegan....
View ArticleAshes series players’ ratings
Now that the dust has settled and the Oval wicket has dried out and been hosed down hopefully, it’s time to reflect on what each player brought to the occasion. Let’s start with England. Alastair Cook:...
View ArticleMoyes must be bold to earn Manchester gold
Be clear, no one is suggesting for a moment that David Moyes is not the right man for the job of Manchester United manager. He was and is a fine choice. But it was never going to be straightforward...
View ArticleAnalysing Gareth Bale’s world record transfer to Real Madrid
It’s not every day that the transfer record is broken so it’s worth a little time to reflect on Real Madrid’s latest piece of shopping. We’ll start by pushing the moral issue aside of a country with...
View ArticleHow the EPL table will look at season’s end
The transfer window is now closed so we can finally assess the runners and riders properly in projected finishing order. The placings will obviously prove to be ultimately incorrect in many instances...
View ArticleMuch work ahead for Jose and Chelsea
Whilst the loss at Everton over the weekend was far from a disaster, Jose Mourinho’s comments after the game sought to put some perspective on the expectation surrounding the club. This is not yet a...
View ArticleDoes Test cricket have a long-term future?
It may feel a little odd to consider such a debate halfway through sold out back-to-back Ashes series, but there is a far larger problem at hand. The vast majority of Test cricket is not the Ashes, and...
View ArticleEPL title race looks wide open
Fans of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are having their predictions of a three-horse race being proved correct yet again; the only slight issue being the three horses involved right now...
View ArticleChelsea finally secure an away victory
Chelsea fans won’t be getting too excited by what should have been and ultimately was a fairly routine victory at Carrow Road against a very workmanlike Norwich City. It was a performance with several...
View ArticleIs Poyet the right man for the Stadium of Light?
Jobs in English football don’t come much tougher than in the north-east. A combination of a hugely loyal, mainly working-class (apologies for any stereotyping) fan base, excellent and often full...
View ArticleJust how good are Belgium looking for the World Cup?
Belgium right now are the flavour of the moment. Their players are peppering the top leagues in Europe – mainly the Premier League. And they have qualified for the World Cup at a canter in a group...
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