Blog (Page 77)

[ad_1] Joao Cancelo is widely seen as one of the best full backs in the modern game, so his January exit from Manchester City came as somewhat of a surprise. The Portugal international quickly became unhappy with his lack of game time under Pep Guardiola towards the end 2022, despite collecting all sorts of domestic silverware after his move from Juventus in 2019. A winter exit to Bayern Munich was quickly agreed, with Guardiola happy to ship out players who become unhappy at the Etihad. Cancelo’s exit is a significant one, so how have the Citizens fared in the 28-year-old’s absence so far? Position TeamRead More →

[ad_1] Jordan Nobbs has been named the WSL’s player of the month for February, while Gareth Taylor has won the manager of the month award. Aston Villa took four points from home and away clashes against Brighton in February, with Nobbs starting both matches and netting a hat-trick during her side’s 6-2 victory at the Broadfield Stadium. The goals were the midfielder’s first in a Villa shirt, having called time on her 12-year stay at Arsenal to join Carla Ward’s side in January. Nobbs’ form also saw her earn a call-up to the England squad for the Arnold Clark Cup. Villa currently sit fifth inRead More →

[ad_1] West Ham owner David Sullivan has blasted the UK Government’s decision to introduce an independent regulator, insisting the process will simply be a “waste of money”. Plans have been confirmed to give a regulator more control over the dealings of English clubs from the Premier League all the way to the National League, including tighter financial rules and the power to block teams from forming unpopular breakaway competitions like the European Super League. There have been loud calls for an independent regular for a number of years, but a statement from Sullivan outlined his complete opposition to the proposal. “It’s a terrible idea,” heRead More →

[ad_1] The UK government have confirmed an independent regulator will soon be introduced to protect the future of English football. Calls for a regulator have been growing in strength over the past few years as a result of various issues, such as a number of clubs falling into administration and the controversy of the initial plan to form a Super League. Now, a plan has been formally announced to ‘oversee the financial sustainability of the game and put fans back at the heart of how football is run’. A statement read: “The regulator will implement a new licensing system from the top flight down toRead More →

[ad_1] The highs of 2021/22 – two trophies and a near quaruple – have been usurped by the bleakness of 2022/23 on the red side of the Mersey. Liverpool could yet enjoy a promising season, but very few projected them to be in their current position. A top four Premier League finish is very much achievable, but the possibility of claiming silverware is now close to nil following Real Madrid’s devastating visit to Anfield this week. Their need to rebuild – and rebuild fast – is distinct, with several members of the old guard needing to be shipped out to facilitate the arrivals of freshRead More →

[ad_1] Barcelona coach Xavi has claimed that a Qatar takeover at Manchester United led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani would be a ‘very good option’ for the Premier League side. Xavi made the assertion ahead of his Barça team playing at Old Trafford on Thursday night, citing his own experience of living in Qatar and a personal relationship with the Sheikh, who is chairman of one of the Gulf state’s largest banks and son of a former prime minister. The Qatar bid is one of only two to be publicly confirmed ahead of last Friday’s soft deadline set by Raine, the investment bankRead More →

[ad_1] Man City’s quest to finally lift the Champions League continued on Wednesday night when they were held to a 1-1 draw by RB Leipzig in the first leg of their last 16 tie. The Citizens’ form has been patchy this season, but they’re poised to compete on three fronts during the backend of the 2022/23 campaign. They remain in Europe and the FA Cup, but will have to hunt down Arsenal if they’re to lift their third-straight Premier League title. It’s a busy period for the champions up until the March international break, and here’s what their schedule looks like. Haaland didn’t score againstRead More →

[ad_1] Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that he is already looking forward to his next dinner with legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson and the pair were spotted out sharing a meal together ahead of Thursday’s huge clash against Barcelona. Ferguson has won more trophies than any other manager in football history – including a record 13 Premier League titles – and United have struggled to even get close to that kind of success since he retired aged 71 a decade ago. A string of coaches have tried and failed for various different reasons, but Ten Hag has had a transformative impactRead More →

[ad_1] Liverpool and Everton have each been issued with FA fines over a mass confrontation that occurred during the Merseyside derby at Anfield earlier this month. Liverpool won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, but the derby boiled over in the closing stages when Andrew Robertson initially clashed. There was then pushing and shoving near the touchline, with Amadou Onana and Kostas Tsimikas heavily involved. Both clubs had been given until Monday of this week to respond to the initial charge alleging that they each ‘failed to ensure their players and/or benches conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/orRead More →

[ad_1] Major League Soccer revealed a new format and schedule for the 2023 playoffs. The new system will see the top seven teams from each conference automatically qualify to the Round One Best-of-3 series following Decision Day on October 21, while teams ranked from seventh to ninth compete in a single-elimination playoffs Wild Card match. The winners of each Wild Card game will earn a spot in the Round One Best-of-3 series. The upcoming edition of the postseason will see up-to 24 must-win matches ahead of the 2023 MLS Cup, compared with just 12 in 2022. Qualification: Wild Card Matches Round One Best-of-3 Series ConferenceRead More →