Stories By Harry De Cosemo
-
Sport
What next for Enzo Fernandez?
There are two types of post-World Cup transfer, with wildly differing success rates. The first one is when a club buys a player whose value and reputation has been inflated by the tournament itself. It can be easy to get swept up when somebody unexpectedly shines on the big stage, but context is key and far too often, these players revert to their club form after the tournament is finished.
-
Sport
Is Southgate cut out for club management?
Now that Gareth Southgate is staying as England manager until Euro 2024, debates around his qualities as a coach will be much more straightforward. Those who want him in place recognise the growth and development he has overseen since taking over at one of the national team’s lowest ebbs in living memory, whereas those who don’t believe he has not got the most out of what is fast becoming the most exciting squad in years.
-
Sport
Real Madrid’s proactive transfer strategy
Real Madrid may be a lot of things, but something they deserve a lot of credit for in recent years is being incredibly proactive when it comes to adjusting to the football landscape. While their continued insistence on the European Super League is more harmful than anything else, the way they have maintained their position as an elite force is much more impressive than it seems.
-
Sport
Bellingham’s breakout tournament
Certain football clubs will have entered this prolonged World Cup break with a strategy in mind. Tournaments are high time for players angling for a move to impress, and there have been a few in Qatar.
-
Sport
Could Mykhailo Mudryk be the next big Premier League star?
Mykhailo Mudryk sensed his moment and took it this season. Although Shakhtar Donetsk dropped down to the Europa League in the new year, his stardust has been left on Europe’s biggest stage already. He is their talisman and their playmaker, the man who makes them tick, leading the quest for a glimmer of joy in what is a terrible time for all Ukrainians.
-
Sport
What is going on at Juventus?
The way Juventus faltered in the Champions League was symbolic of their incredibly deep problems. Alongside PSG, perhaps purely on the basis of their standing in European football, the Old Lady were expected to qualify for the knockout stages, but only managed to secure a place in the Europa League.
-
Sport
How Grealish spurred on Almiron
Jack Grealish was intoxicated and in the throng of his first Premier League title celebration at Manchester City. He wasn’t thinking about how he looked or sounded, but staring down the lens of a camera, he uttered a sentence that would go viral, and inadvertently inspire one of the most potent runs of form this season.
-
Sport
Why is Gabriel Jesus not in the Brazil squad?
Mikel Arteta must have been relieved, but Gabriel Jesus would have been bemused. When Tite announced Brazil’s latest international squad list without the striker’s name on it, it felt harsh to say the very least.
-
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.
Loading...
End of content
No more pages to load
