Posts By Michael Jones
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911La LigaBale and the new era Beckoning at the Bernabue
A new era beckons at The Bernabue. Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow no longer cloaks the dressing room and Zinedine Zidane, who led Los Blancos to three Champions Leagues, no longer stalks the side-lines. For one man, this marriage of absence has opened up a striking opportunity. Gareth Bale finally has the...
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1.7KPremier LeagueWhat will the Premier League be like for Cardiff City?
It’s May 3rd, 2014. I’m standing in the heavens of St James’ Park, just making out the coloured dots that pass for players. Cardiff City have just slumped 3-0 to Newcastle United – a Newcastle side playing in front of a mutinous crowd who jeers every time Alan Pardew, then...
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1.8KPremier LeagueRicharlison, Digne and Everton’s Rise Back to the Top Six
Everton won’t break into the top-four this season, but they’re slowly building towards it. Pre-season discussion always hinges on three questions, and this year is no different. Who will be sucked into the relegation quagmire? Who will be crowned Champions? Can anyone punctuate the “Big Six”? Like the chewy, sticky...
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808FootballThe Weird Fetish for Managerial Antics on the Touchline
There is a frustrating fallacy doing the rounds once again. Managers who tether themselves to the touchline and engage in theatrical performances on the side-lines are better than those who do not. This is rubbish. It’s not often we can use Joey Barton as an imparter of wisdom, but here,...
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1.4KPremier LeagueNow is the Moment for Liverpool to win the Premier League
Though Liverpool ultimately fell at the last hurdle against Real Madrid in last season’s Champions League final, a sense of optimism ripples through Merseyside. The Reds stormed their way to Kiev with a mix of tempestuous energy and lightening quick football, but they now find themselves cresting into unchartered territory.
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716World Cup 2018England Will Have no Excuses if They’re Stopped by Columbia
No more managing expectations. If England cannot negotiate their way past a mediocre Colombia they should be labelled failures. There’s been a refreshing change to the way Gareth Southgate’s players have interacted with the media. They’re more open, talkative and friendly, and all buy into their manager’s call to express...
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4.3KPremier LeagueRuthless Emery is Building a Revolution at Arsenal
Learning from failure is the single biggest contributor to success. In making a number of swift and decisive decisions, Unai Emery looks set to avoid what undermined his time at Pars Saint Germain.
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2.5KPremier LeagueManchester United Won’t Miss Anthony Martial Next Season
Hyperbole and exaggeration have come to define Martial’s time at Old Trafford. Arriving amidst a tabloid storm that scorned United for splashing £57.1 million for the Monaco man, Martial initially shined but has since failed to deliver.
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592World Cup 2018Why the World Cup is Still Magic
Saturday morning. Attempting, in my own insignificant way, to banish the tired stereotypes of the millennial generation being glued to devices and screens, I bought a selection of the national newspapers. It is little under a week before the World Cup kicks off and the sporting media is awash with...
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713World Cup 2018England’s World Cup Narrative Needs Refashioning
Pessimism is woven into the English DNA. This is no more apparent than when it comes to football. There is, however, a strange opposition. Though cynicism often coats England’s chances at major tournaments, it was an overconfidence that led to their exit from the 2014 World Cup and the 2016...
