The Hollywood Pass
Sunday’s Premier League match at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Liverpool, the pick of the new 2023/24 season’s first round matches, offers us some interesting insights into the new Chelsea being constructed under the ownership of Todd Boehly and co. After a disastrous 12th place finish last season and no European football this year, the […]
In May 1977, Bob Paisley was in his third season in charge of Liverpool. He had already led the Reds to 4 trophies, including a ‘double’ of the First Division title and the UEFA Cup in the 1975/76 season. The 1976/77 season would see Paisley help Liverpool to another special achievement, this time a double […]
By all accounts, April Fools’ Day in Manchester this year was a quiet affair. But not at the Etihad stadium, where Manchester City hosted Liverpool in a crucial English Premier League match. Jurgen Klopp’s men were trying to rally their way to Champions League qualification following a desperately disappointing season during which they had been […]
Alf Ramsey, the English manager who led the Three Lions to World Cup glory on home soil in 1966, was once interacting with his players after an England match at the old Wembley stadium. “I had had a fairly good game and he’s shaking everybody’s hands,” recalled Gordon Banks, England’s legendary goalkeeper who was also […]
Franck Ribéry looked peeved. The clock showed 75 minutes at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Stadium in the Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund. Ribéry had opened his team’s scoring, lashing home, on first touch, a cross from the right by Philip Lahm in the 4th minute. He had also made an assist. Now the fourth official was […]
Coaching is about, ‘How do I get people to play at their peak level?’ It is a spiritual quest. And if it’s not that, you don’t have a challenge, you don’t have a mission. Forming a brotherhood and trying to move it forward – that’s what coaching is. Phil Jackson, 11-time NBA title winning coach […]
Francis Coquelin dropped to the ground clutching his face. Referee Szymon Marciniak of Poland blew his whistle, stopped play and awarded a free-kick to Villarreal. Liverpool players, who were still trying to control a corner kick delivered by Trent Alexander-Arnold, walked away from the Villarreal box to let the Spanish side’s goalkeeper take the free-kick. […]