Football

In the absence of anything else I watched the second leg of Aston Villa v Leicester last night and was rewarded by a pulsating Midlands derby which Villa won in the dying embers. Of interest to the neutral was the comparison between two of England’s brightest midfield prospects – James [...]

The high hopes of new owner US media billionaire Rocco Commisso are dissipating. We are still mid-table and the only real evidence of  his financial backing is we still have Federico  Chiesa. Over the last few years there  has been a revolving door of talented players from Florence like Alonso [...]

One of the factors in the Great Debate of attendance versus TV-watching is ease of travel. I watched this bore draw from the comfort of my sofa on the Skysport red button. I certainly would not have wanted to make a 3 hour journey home in the cold from Charlton. As it was, I was in bed by 10. [...]

There is a misconception in football that we fans know much less than players, managers, coaches and pundits. This dull game – if it did nothing else – disproved this. On the bus to the Amex – the least car-friendly stadium in the world – I met a supporter I knew. He [...]

Two months ago, you would not ever have thought that Fulham would win 3 matches on the bounce 1-0. Yet last night’s victory achieved precisely that. The difference has been six foot five defender Michael Hector, a loanee from Chelsea, is very much a commanding presence in the back four. Alfie [...]

This ground out away win was exactly what we or any aspiring promotion side needs. There were few opportunities either way but with the tall Michael Hector at the heart of the Fulham defence we looked more solid and less prone to silly error. We went into the game with Tom Cairney, Harry Arter, [...]

There is no doubt that the FA Cup has lost much of its lustre but – aside from its traditions as the oldest football competition – it gives a boost to clubs not competing for honours in the final phase of the season. Clubs like Aston Villa who are in the relegation zone and have a [...]

4 points out of 9 over the festive period is not a productive haul and one the Cottagers may rue with the tough matches scheduled for March/April/May. We now have lost 4 games at home. Scott Parker, diligent as he is, does not seem to produce consistency of result. He has not been helped by an [...]