In the midst of the World Cup, with a daily diet of football and football chat, it probably sucks to not like the game. I can understand, indeed empathise with, people in that position. I don’t watch Strictly or Game of Thrones and I never got into Line of Duty, though I may well wellContinue reading “So you don’t like football? You never said…”
Category Archives: Football
Ranking World Cups while feeling queasy about this one
Is this the least anticipated World Cup ever? Every football fan I talk to thinks so. Qatar should never have been awarded it given its vile human rights record – staging it there feels like a new low in attempted sports washing. Cheering on football teams in stadia migrant workers died building, in a countryContinue reading “Ranking World Cups while feeling queasy about this one”
‘Captain Fantastics’ are often mediocre managers
Steven Gerrard’s dismissal from Aston Villa was no surprise in the end, after an abysmal start to the 2022//3 season. Once again, a manager who swept to Scottish titles with one of the two Glasgow clubs has come up short on the much harsher terrain of the Premier League. While it is way too earlyContinue reading “‘Captain Fantastics’ are often mediocre managers”
Do we remember old footballers as better than they were?
“I’ve always said Kevin Keegan is overrated,” my father once said, as my MUFC-supporting neighbour predicted his departure would see Liverpool decline. Both were wrong: Liverpool brought in Kenny Dalglish and rose to new heights; Keegan was twice European Footballer of the Year and is if anything historically underrated. I have written before about myContinue reading “Do we remember old footballers as better than they were?”
Heads fall off in football’s kneejerk season
So it looks like Liverpool and Manchester United will be fighting to stay in the Premier League this season. West Ham are gone already. And it’s three titles in a row for mighty Manchester City and their lovely paymasters. That’s what football social media half suggests, anyway. Regardless of the fact that each team hasContinue reading “Heads fall off in football’s kneejerk season”
Does Gary Neville want a state-backed Manchester United?
Gary Neville’s impotent fury at Manchester United’s latest humiliation may be a delight to some (go on, that includes me), but it highlights once again his inconsistency when it comes to the role of big money in modern football. In his rant at the affable Jamie Redknapp – who you felt was rather enjoying himselfContinue reading “Does Gary Neville want a state-backed Manchester United?”
The transfer window: a party for football’s most tiresome fans
It’s that time of year again. No football at weekends, no World Cup or Euros to distract us. It’s doubly annoying this year because there would be a World Cup but for an inane, financially driven decision to move it to Qatar in the winter – and because we are being subjected to another roundContinue reading “The transfer window: a party for football’s most tiresome fans”
VAR: the epitome of joyless officialdom
I am deliberately writing this ahead of the biggest Premier League game in a couple of years, with Liverpool going to Manchester City on Sunday in a much-vaunted ‘title decider’. (I don’t think it will decide the title, but it will certainly have an impact.) I might or might not anticipate Anthony Taylor making aContinue reading “VAR: the epitome of joyless officialdom”
Rory writes 