Roberto Martinez has not enjoyed many matches played at Goodison Park in the last two years, but now as manager of Belgium, he will have been happy to see Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke net in a 1-1 draw between Everton and Crystal Palace. During his time in charge of Everton, Martinez was rightly criticized for… Read more →
There are certain results in a season that inspire fresh confidence into a team, in terms of what they can achieve. For Leicester last season, that was the day in February that they thrashed Man City on their own turf. In terms of significance, that result cannot be compared to Southampton’s 3-0 win at West Ham last week.… Read more →
There might only be two points separating 23rd place Cardiff City and 18th place Burton Albion, but the moods in both camps are very different. Cardiff finished 8th last term and while expectations were not particularly high in pre-season, they would have hoped to be in the top half. Most pundits wrote Burton off as relegation… Read more →
There was a gap of eight points between these two teams at the end of August, but fortunes have changed slightly for both since then. The last five games have seen Gillingham win just once, 2-1 against a hapless Coventry side, while AFC Wimbledon have attained their first third tier wins in their current incarnation.… Read more →
Experience and depth can be key at this level. Plymouth Argyle’s promotion push last term faltered due a lack of cover for key players, but now we are seeing that Derek Adams can ring the changes and still get the results. By contrast, Yeovil’s budgetary limitations are much in evidence. They perhaps miss experienced heads… Read more →
Che Adams’ came off the bench to secure a point for Birmingham on Tuesday night, in a 2-2 draw with Preston. The Lilywhites led at the break thanks to Alex Baptiste’s tap-in and Daniel Johnson’s free-kick, the latter coming shortly after Ryan Shotton’s header for Gary Rowett’s side. However, Adams equalized in an improved second half from the… Read more →
‘Against modern football’, ‘The Game’s Gone’ – Words and slogans used by once enthusiastic football fans who have become disillusioned with the modern game. This blog would argue that the game, in fact, remains alive and well. There have always been moral issues in football, but their nature has changed. The problem is that nostalgia can at… Read more →
Burnley were without Andre Gray. They had just lost 3-0 at Leicester. They were playing a Watford side that had gained back-to-back wins. How would they cope? Superbly. In an industrious performance, two headers from Jeff Hendryck and Michael Keane saw the Clarets to a 2-0 win over a lacklustre Watford side. In the first half, the… Read more →
Following Andy Hessenthaler’s departure, Leyton Orient have had seven managers in the last 24 months, so one can see why some view the job as a poisoned chalice. Francesco Becchetti’s interferences with team selection and lack of trust in his managers have been a factor behind the club’s decline. However, this blog would argue that interim manager Andy Edwards… Read more →
Joao Teixeira’s early second half brace in Wolves’ 3-1 win over Brentford was key to the game’s eventual appeal. Until then neither side had threatened to score, but the first goal turned the dynamics of the match on its head. Sulley Kaikai reduced the deficit to spark a period of pressure from the Bees, but… Read more →