The most lucrative game in world football: Middlesbrough and Brighton set to battle for potential promotion prize of £290m May 7, 2016 The world's most valuable football match takes place this weekend – not in the moneyed surrounds of the Santiago Bernabeu, the Etihad Stadium or the Parc des Princes, but in a rather more mundane setting. Middlesbrough host Brighton at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday lunchtime in a straight fight for promotion to the Premier League [...]
Manchester United must pay £5m to sack Louis van Gaal at the end of the season May 6, 2016 Manchester United must be prepared to take a £5m hit if they want to sack manager Louis van Gaal this summer. The under-fire coach could earn up to £8m this season if he guides United into the Champions League and beats Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, according to The Times. Van Gaal is reported [...]
Arsenal are just a franchise, Manchester United prioritise profit, Chelsea’s structure is skewed but Manchester City may be on the up – a management expert discusses Premier League clubs May 6, 2016 Build a strong team, win games, lift silverware: the external barometers for a football club are long established, but a new report suggests there is much more to look at when analysing how well a club is run. A new index from Organizational Maturity Services LLP (OMS LLP) judges Premier League clubs on their management [...]
Liverpool 3, Villarreal 0 (Agg: 3-1): Klopp taunts club’s critics as Liverpool torpedo sinks Yellow Submarine May 6, 2016 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp taunted the club’s detractors and urged his side to complete their Europa League mission after blitzing Villarreal with a high-octane showing in Thursdays semi-final second leg. An early own goal from Villarreal defender Bruno Soriano wiped out their first-leg arrears, while Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana netted second-half strikes as visiting [...]
Betting: Ruthless United to push nervous Norwich closer to relegation trap-door May 5, 2016 When Norwich beat Newcastle just over a month ago, the Canaries were six points clear of the Magpies, and four clear of the drop zone. But they welcome Manchester United to Carrow Road on Saturday lunchtime after three successive defeats, and are now two points behind Newcastle and safety. While that win, and another the [...]
Leicester City brand has grown more than any other club this season but Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea still top the list May 5, 2016 Leicester City have been placed above Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in a ranking of the strongest Premier League brands after catching the world’s attention with their historic title triumph. The newly-crowned champions are this season’s biggest risers on the Brandtix rankings of Premier League brand value, which measures both a team’s on-pitch and off-pitch [...]
Football betting: Manchester City and Arsenal can edge closer to Champions League spot with a point May 5, 2016 It wasn't supposed to be this way for either of these two sides. When Manchester City against Arsenal was scheduled for the penultimate weekend of the season, it looked like a mouth-watering clash that could decide the fate of the Premier League. Instead, the Gunners travel to Manchester on Sunday with the trophy already in the [...]
Tottenham in talks to stage next season’s Champions League matches at Wembley, confirms FA chairman Greg Dyke May 5, 2016 Chairman Greg Dyke yesterday confirmed that the Football Association is in negotiations with Tottenham over the north London club playing its Champions League matches at Wembley next season. Spurs later released a statement affirming their intention to consider playing European games away from White Hart Lane in order to comply with Uefa stadium regulations. Next [...]
Forget Leicester City, Southampton and Everton are a better bet for future Premier League success according to new management index May 5, 2016 Newly-crowned champions Leicester City are more likely to mimic Chelsea's collapse than retain the title next season, according to a new report on the management quality at Premier League clubs. Claudio Ranieri's side may have redefined what was previously thought possible, but similar-sized clubs hoping for long-term success should instead look to Southampton and Everton, [...]
Real Madrid 1, Manchester City 0 (Agg: 1-0): Pellegrini blames lack of creativity as City suffer European Bale-out May 4, 2016 Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini rued a lack of creative spark as his side meekly bowed out of the Champions League following an uninspiring showing against 10-time winners Real Madrid. Real set up a repeat of the 2014 final against La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid when former Tottenham forward Gareth Bale’s cross-cum-shot flew beyond City [...]
