Stories By Harry De Cosemo

• Sport

  What went wrong for Chris Wilder at Middleborough?

  Chris Wilder and Middlesbrough promised so much together, but in the end, delivered very little. The former Sheffield United boss was sacked this week with the club in the Championship relegation zone, after being named among the favourites for promotion this season.

• Sport

  Does Southgate need to drop Maguire?

  In just 12 second half minutes last Monday at Wembley, England reminded themselves and the watching world what they are and could be. An hour into their final Nations League clash against Germany, their final match before the World Cup, the sense of dread was crushing for everybody, not least Gareth Southgate.

• Sport

  What now for Billy Gilmour?

  Spare a thought for Billy Gilmour. Once heralded as one of Chelsea’s brightest youth prospects, the Scot seemed to be developing at the right time at Stamford Bridge. His emergence was timed perfectly, just as the club were learning, through the adversity of a transfer ban, to embrace their academy.

• Sport

  Can Brighton continue their progress without Potter?

  After Graham Potter’s departure from Brighton this week, it is easy to assume the Seagulls will soon be a spent force. The extremely highly-rated English coach has helped develop the club into one of the Premier League’s most forward-thinking and exciting teams, and he will certainly prove difficult to replace.

• Sport

  Have Newcastle had an underwhelming transfer window?

  It hasn’t been the summer many expected for Newcastle United. Despite on paper having the richest owners in the world, they have never purported to be such, because the reality is very different.   Scratching the surface from the moment the Saudi Arabian-backed consortium took control in October last year, it was clear that speculation linking the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe with moves to St James’ Park was always unrealistic, but then those putting those stories on the back pages weren’t likely to be checking their authenticity.

• Sport

  Why this is Steven Gerrard’s biggest season yet as a manager

  Aston Villa are entering a hugely important season. Two years after promotion to the Premier League, they are settled in the division. Their current owners have made no secret of their desire to reinstate the club as one of England’s biggest clubs, with European football hot on their agenda.

• Sport

  What is life after Pep Guardiola like for players?

  No manager is universally loved. In fact, for the very best ones, upsetting players probably means they are doing something right. But nobody can dispute Pep Guardiola’s standing as a member of the elite.

• Sport

  Has Gareth Bale lost his love for club football?

  Whether fair or not, Gareth Bale has a reputation. The view many seem to take on the Welshman is that he is no longer in love with football, at least at club level, and instead prefers to pick up a golf club and spend his days playing 18 holes.

• Sport

  How Brentford signed a world class player

  Amid all the emotion and intrigue surrounding Christian Eriksen’s arrival at Brentford in January, it was easy to forget that a newly-promoted Premier League side had just signed a genuine world class footballer.

• Sport

  What’s next for Raphinha?

  When Leeds United were promoted to the Premier League in the spring of 2020 against a backdrop of pandemic-infused chaos, it was very poetic. Society was on its knees at the time, but Leeds partied long into the nights as they got lighter.

• Sport

  Is PSG’s hire of Christophe Galtier counterintuitive?

  For Paris Saint-Germain, success has become hard to measure. Since a takeover by the Qatari Sports Group in 2011, they have utterly dominated French football, winning the league title in all but two seasons since.

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