England v Scotland: Is International Football’s Oldest Rivalry Really a Rivalry?

It’s the oldest rivalry in football. England and Scotland are forefathers of the sport, with the first meeting between the two nations dating back to November 1872. That match (which finished in a goalless draw) was played in front of just 4,000 fans on what is now a cricket pitch. On Friday, the rivalry will resume at Wembley in front of a sold-out 90,000 crowd with World Cup qualification on... 

Jurgen Klinsmann Faces Crossroads as USA Prepare for Hex Showdown vs. Mexico

If Jurgen Klinsmann has ever felt under any real pressure of losing his job as U.S. men’s national team manager, it most likely came around the time of the country’s last clash with rivals Mexico. El Tri left the Rose Bowl last October not just with a 3-2 win over the timid hosts but with a place in the 2017 Confederations Cup. Klinsmann found himself the centre of an existential postmortem. The... 

Sam Allardyce Was Right Man for the Job, but England Must Go in a New Direction

There was something distinctly Shakespearean to Sam Allardyce‘s very swift demise as England manager. It was a job he coveted for so long, yet his inherent instincts, his toxic intuition, betrayed him. It was like he couldn‘t stop himself, unable to stem his urges like so many William Shakespeare protagonists. This was a tragedy for the modern football age. But regardless of whether Allardyce‘s... 

Would Recalling John Terry to the England Squad Really Be Such a Bad Idea?

While his frumpy, simplistic style might not make him terribly progressive, Sam Allardyce was appointed as England manager to take the team forward. After all, they couldn’t fall any further following their dismal Euro 2016 showing. Yet the new national team boss is seemingly set on looking backward before plotting the course ahead. English football desperately needs a new crop of talent to... 

English Football Must Learn Lessons from Team GB’s Success at Rio Olympics

With every medal hung round the neck of a British athlete in Rio de Janeiro, another entry is surely scrawled into the grand catalogue of notes the Football Association must be taking this summer. Team GB’s astonishing Olympic success comes directly on the back of another dismal showing by England at a major tournament, so why is one team flourishing while the other is floundering? That is the... 

Are Portugal Really the European Championships’ Worst-Ever Finalists?

It became apparent rather early that Euro 2016 was prime for an outsider to make a charge. It took until the latter rounds for any side to impose themselves on the competition, with the newly expanded format giving the tournament a distinctly open field. Bets were taken and tips made on which of the 24 teams in France this summer would emerge from the pack to go the distance. Much of the group stage... 

How Euro 2004’s Disappointment Kept Cristiano Ronaldo Going for Portugal

Think of Cristiano Ronaldo and a few images come to mind. His trademark celebration for one, mouth open, face contorted, muscles flexed. Or his shirtless jubilation in both Champions League finals he has won as a Real Madrid player also define his legend. But one image still tarnishes Ronaldo’s career. That image is of the then-teenage winger in floods of tears after losing the Euro 2004 final.... 

It’s Time Olivier Giroud’s Importance to France Was Recognised

Every team needs a scapegoat. Even when things are going well, when the goals are flowing and the wins are racking up, there is always a scapegoat readied to be sacrificed, just in case. France find themselves in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, unbeaten and largely unscathed. Yet Olivier Giroud has become their scapegoat.  Giroud is everyone’s scapegoat, it seems. At Arsenal, he is often... 

England Must Fix Their Mentality Before They Fix Anything Else

By now, the usual inquest which follows an English exit from a major tournament feels tired. The manager resigns, or at least faces intense media interrogation, while underperforming players are trialled by a public jury. Until that changes neither will England’s international football fortunes.  Indeed, the investigation that will follow England’s humiliating last-16 exit to Iceland... 

Cristiano Ronaldo Should Be Commended for Trying so Hard, Not Mocked for It

As far as easy targets go Cristiano Ronaldo is about as easy as they come. He might be one of this generation’s finest footballers, boasting three Ballons d’Or, three Champions League trophies and countless other accolades to his name, but the winger doesn’t just run around with the No. 7 on his back. There’s a target there too.  That target has been struck rather hard... 

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