Academics find fairer format for penalty shootouts, but will football accept it? December 2, 2021 Football took a chance on the ABBA format in the hope of minimising the inherent unfairness of penalty shootouts, but that experiment swiftly met its Waterloo. Now, though, economists at Durham University have devised a new way of ordering penalty kicks that they believe could change the name of the game. They tested a score-dependent [...]
Ed Warner: Crouch review recommendations could drive Premier League away December 2, 2021 I really wanted to embrace the “fan-led” Tracey Crouch review of football governance in England. But with each turn of its 162 pages my heart sank further at the unmistakable sight of the heavy hand of Whitehall. The Crouch review’s recommendations revolve around the creation of an independent regulator for the sport. This displays a [...]
Rafa Benitez feels heat as struggling Everton prepare to host red-hot Liverpool December 1, 2021 A Merseyside derby represents a dangerous time for an Everton manager under pressure, as Marco Silva can attest. The Portuguese was fired in early December 2019 after suffering a 5-2 drubbing at Liverpool, the final straw in a run of eight defeats in 11 Premier League games. Two years later, almost to the day, Rafa [...]
Historic night for Ellen White: England’s Lionesses 20 (yes, twenty) – Latvia 0 December 1, 2021 The Lionesses crushed Latvia 20-0 at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium last night as Ellen White broke England Women’s all-time scoring record and the team recorded their biggest ever competitive victory. White scored twice early on in the World Cup qualifier to take her level with and then past Kelly Smith’s mark of 46 goals, before completing [...]
Why brand Manchester United keeps them hooked November 30, 2021 Around this time of year, Christmas comes early for many football fans with the release of the immersive fantasy world that is Football Manager. Will this be the year I take Newport County from League Two to Champions League glory? Let’s spend 250 hours over the next 12 months finding out. In this year’s game [...]
Newcastle takeover optimism fizzling out as reality of relegation battle dawns November 30, 2021 The songs for Amanda Staveley have faded, the fake sheikh outfits dwindled in number and the #CANS of celebration long since been drained. Almost eight weeks on, Newcastle United’s takeover by a group led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has not had the immediate uplift hoped for at St James’ Park. It may arrive [...]
Trevor Steven: Teacher Ralf Rangnick will shake up Manchester United November 29, 2021 In a former life as a football agent, I once asked a German contact for some up-and-coming names in the Bundesliga. One of them was a forward-thinking coach, who I spoke to and made known to a few English clubs who were in the market for a new manager. None took up the chance to [...]
Ralf Rangnick confirmed as new Manchester United manager November 29, 2021 Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as their new manager until the end of the season. The influential German coach, whose arrival has been widely expected, will remain at the club after the summer in a consultancy role. “I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a [...]
Omicron: New Covid-19 strain could scupper sport further November 28, 2021 The Omicron variant of Covid-19 could derail the upcoming sports calendar, having already been the cause of chaos over the weekend. The strain, prominent in Southern Africa but also appearing elsewhere, has put governments across the world on red alert. And sports organisations are no different. International sports events in the southern hemisphere are prominent [...]
Five things we learned this weekend: United show Rangnick hallmarks to hold Chelsea November 28, 2021 We may not yet know how much he influenced Manchester United’s approach in their 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday but their approach bore some of the hallmarks of Ralf Rangnick. Rangnick is expected to arrive at United this week to take up the role of interim manager until the end of the season, when [...]
