Brian Reade Trinity Mirror Trinity Mirror 2012-02-10T19:46:56Z 2012-02-10T20:59:19Z We should have sacked Capello two years ago Why Moyes is the right man for Spurs  Those who think today’s relations between Manchester United and Liverpool are toxic should have been at the FA Cup semi-final at Goodison in 1985. There were re-enactments of mediaeval pitched battles in the streets, a Stanley knife exhibition in Stanley Park and, on the terraces, the kind of tribal exchanges you see in Gaza on a bad day. Stones, coins and golf balls bearing eight-inch nails were hurled across t...

We should have sacked Capello two years ago Why Moyes is the right man for Spurs  Those who think today’s relations between Manchester United and Liverpool are toxic should have been at the FA Cup semi-final at Goodison in 1985. There were re-enactments of mediaeval pitched battles in the streets, a Stanley knife exhibition in Stanley Park and, on the terraces, the kind of tribal exchanges you see in Gaza on a bad day. Stones, coins and golf balls bearing eight-inch nails were hurled across t...

2012-02-10T20:59:19Z 2012-02-10T19:50:15Z 2012-02-10T20:58:50Z United v Liverpool has always been spiky... but it used to be about football too Why Moyes is the right man for Spurs  Let's be honest. To most England fans, it felt like the big lump who shares your bed, who you'd been trying to dump for years, had made the decision for you. There was little love lost between England and Fabio Capello because there was little love to lose. It was a marriage of convenience. He got £6million-a-year for a part-time job, England swapped the Wally With The Brol...

United v Liverpool has always been spiky... but it used to be about football too Why Moyes is the right man for Spurs  Let's be honest. To most England fans, it felt like the big lump who shares your bed, who you'd been trying to dump for years, had made the decision for you. There was little love lost between England and Fabio Capello because there was little love to lose. It was a marriage of convenience. He got £6million-a-year for a part-time job, England swapped the Wally With The Brol...

2012-02-10T20:58:50Z 2012-02-10T19:52:44Z 2012-02-10T20:57:13Z United v Liverpool has always been spiky... but it used to be about football too  We should have sacked Capello two years ago  If Harry Redknapp does end up as England coach, the anxiety at White Hart Lane may not be as bad as everyone suspects. A by-product of Redknapp's success is they are almost an established top four club, which means they don't have to shop in Aldi for a new manager anymore but Harrods. Ironically, when they sacked Juande Ramos four years ago, the best they could hope f...

United v Liverpool has always been spiky... but it used to be about football too  We should have sacked Capello two years ago  If Harry Redknapp does end up as England coach, the anxiety at White Hart Lane may not be as bad as everyone suspects. A by-product of Redknapp's success is they are almost an established top four club, which means they don't have to shop in Aldi for a new manager anymore but Harrods. Ironically, when they sacked Juande Ramos four years ago, the best they could hope f...

2012-02-10T20:57:13Z 2012-02-03T22:57:23Z 2012-02-03T21:02:53Z It looks like being the year of the nostalgic comeback. Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry have returned to their true loves, Kenny Dalglish will lead his out at Wembley in a few weeks and David Beckham will no doubt model a range of extra-moist eyeliner as he leads his nation out in the Olympics. At this rate, I’m not ruling out Graham Taylor running after the linesman during this month’s friendly with Holland screaming “the referee’s got me the sack, thank him for me won’t you.” But shuffling u...

It looks like being the year of the nostalgic comeback. Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry have returned to their true loves, Kenny Dalglish will lead his out at Wembley in a few weeks and David Beckham will no doubt model a range of extra-moist eyeliner as he leads his nation out in the Olympics. At this rate, I’m not ruling out Graham Taylor running after the linesman during this month’s friendly with Holland screaming “the referee’s got me the sack, thank him for me won’t you.” But shuffling u...

2012-02-03T21:02:53Z 2012-02-03T23:07:11Z 2012-02-03T21:01:56Z What a bizarre comment from Roberto Mancini after his Man City side’s defeat at Everton. “I didn’t prepare well for this game. I thought it was maybe easier.” Now that’s either a commendable attempt to take the heat off his struggling players or a potential suicide note. He had a free weekend to prepare for this crucial fixture, big motivation to return to Merseyside a week after losing a semi-final and show his side aren’t bottlers, and he was playing David Moyes’ Everton, who relish big ga...

What a bizarre comment from Roberto Mancini after his Man City side’s defeat at Everton. “I didn’t prepare well for this game. I thought it was maybe easier.” Now that’s either a commendable attempt to take the heat off his struggling players or a potential suicide note. He had a free weekend to prepare for this crucial fixture, big motivation to return to Merseyside a week after losing a semi-final and show his side aren’t bottlers, and he was playing David Moyes’ Everton, who relish big ga...

2012-02-03T21:01:56Z 2012-02-03T23:05:56Z 2012-02-03T21:00:58Z There has been some cynicism expressed at news that Real Madrid may be lining up Rafa Benitez if Jose Mourinho quits. Cynicism from people with short memories. Benitez has proved he can do it in Spain, by winning two La Ligas with Valencia, and in Europe, by guiding Liverpool to two Champions League finals in three years. Despite being dropped for the Istanbul final, Didi Hamann, in his new autobiography, descibes Benitez as “pure managerial genius.” He’s proved that, at his best, he is. Al...

There has been some cynicism expressed at news that Real Madrid may be lining up Rafa Benitez if Jose Mourinho quits. Cynicism from people with short memories. Benitez has proved he can do it in Spain, by winning two La Ligas with Valencia, and in Europe, by guiding Liverpool to two Champions League finals in three years. Despite being dropped for the Istanbul final, Didi Hamann, in his new autobiography, descibes Benitez as “pure managerial genius.” He’s proved that, at his best, he is. Al...

2012-02-03T21:00:58Z 2012-01-27T16:35:24Z 2012-01-27T20:59:54Z Why we need a Euro-wide salary cap now Blame Dowd for that pen.. but blame Mancini for signing Savic and selling Bellers  What would happen if you performed so badly at work that your company lost a contract and you made your boss look a clown? How would it go down if you smacked the head of human resources as you waited in the canteen queue? I'll take a stab. You'd get your backside booted so hard you wouldn't land until you hit the nearest JobCentre. So how come it no longer works that wa...

Why we need a Euro-wide salary cap now Blame Dowd for that pen.. but blame Mancini for signing Savic and selling Bellers  What would happen if you performed so badly at work that your company lost a contract and you made your boss look a clown? How would it go down if you smacked the head of human resources as you waited in the canteen queue? I'll take a stab. You'd get your backside booted so hard you wouldn't land until you hit the nearest JobCentre. So how come it no longer works that wa...

2012-01-27T20:59:54Z 2012-01-27T16:35:07Z 2012-01-27T20:58:16Z Why I hope Kenny has started a trend by taking on pampered stars  Blame Dowd for that pen.. but blame Mancini for signing Savic and selling Bellers  UEFA are talking tough on their financial fair play rules, threatening to ban clubs from European competitions if they end up with more than £37.6 million annual debt. Their need to act is undoubted. Despite money gushing into the game at an unprecedented rate, losses of £1.3 billion were reported last year by the 665 clubs in Europe's top-flig...

Why I hope Kenny has started a trend by taking on pampered stars  Blame Dowd for that pen.. but blame Mancini for signing Savic and selling Bellers  UEFA are talking tough on their financial fair play rules, threatening to ban clubs from European competitions if they end up with more than £37.6 million annual debt. Their need to act is undoubted. Despite money gushing into the game at an unprecedented rate, losses of £1.3 billion were reported last year by the 665 clubs in Europe's top-flig...

2012-01-27T20:58:16Z 2012-01-27T16:34:48Z 2012-01-27T20:57:37Z Why I hope Kenny has started a trend by taking on pampered stars Why we need a Euro-wide salary cap now  For once Roberto Mancini was right to have a pop at the referee. That was never a penalty against Micah Richards at Anfield and you can see his grievance. But claiming, as he did, that Phil Dowd cost Manchester City a place in the Carling Cup Final is another matter. Who paid £10.6 million for Stefan Savic, played him at centre-back, then dragged him off at half-time after realising he w...

Why I hope Kenny has started a trend by taking on pampered stars Why we need a Euro-wide salary cap now  For once Roberto Mancini was right to have a pop at the referee. That was never a penalty against Micah Richards at Anfield and you can see his grievance. But claiming, as he did, that Phil Dowd cost Manchester City a place in the Carling Cup Final is another matter. Who paid £10.6 million for Stefan Savic, played him at centre-back, then dragged him off at half-time after realising he w...

2012-01-27T20:57:37Z 2012-01-20T22:49:01Z 2012-01-20T21:02:39Z One of football’s unexplained mysteries is the almost seamless reappraisal of Harry Redknapp’s managerial abilities. Until he started to take Spurs up the table, he was patronised as an old-school ‘Crafty Cockney’, who knew the game inside out, but would never inhabit the same pedestal as the Shanklys, Fergusons and Cloughs. Most thought winning the FA Cup for Portsmouth, aged 61, was a fitting swan-song for a colourful career, and that he would sail off into the sunset on a Thomas Cook cruis...

One of football’s unexplained mysteries is the almost seamless reappraisal of Harry Redknapp’s managerial abilities. Until he started to take Spurs up the table, he was patronised as an old-school ‘Crafty Cockney’, who knew the game inside out, but would never inhabit the same pedestal as the Shanklys, Fergusons and Cloughs. Most thought winning the FA Cup for Portsmouth, aged 61, was a fitting swan-song for a colourful career, and that he would sail off into the sunset on a Thomas Cook cruis...

2012-01-20T21:02:39Z 2012-01-20T22:43:43Z 2012-01-20T21:01:35Z Michael Owen wants us all to know that “Sir Bobby’s records are in my sights.” At first, I thought he’d been invited for tea at Chez Charlton were he intended to flick through Bobby’s collection of Matt Monro and Andy Williams albums. But it turns out he was referring to Charlton’s record-breaking 49 goals for England, nine more than he has scored. Owen says he hasn’t ruled out playing for England again, and hitting those goals, despite playing fewer than 80 minutes of Premier League action ...

Michael Owen wants us all to know that “Sir Bobby’s records are in my sights.” At first, I thought he’d been invited for tea at Chez Charlton were he intended to flick through Bobby’s collection of Matt Monro and Andy Williams albums. But it turns out he was referring to Charlton’s record-breaking 49 goals for England, nine more than he has scored. Owen says he hasn’t ruled out playing for England again, and hitting those goals, despite playing fewer than 80 minutes of Premier League action ...

2012-01-20T21:01:35Z 2012-01-20T22:42:44Z 2012-01-20T21:00:37Z Barcelona now meet Real Madrid so regularly cynics want El Clasico renamed El Overkillo. But surely no true football fan can knock these games. Not with such players on the pitch, not with such intensity and passion, not with such Oscar-winning acting, not knowing one set of the most fickle fans on earth will go home gutted before the end, and not with that feud between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Or rather, Jose Mourinho’s ego and the world. Because the magnificent sub-plot to every o...

Barcelona now meet Real Madrid so regularly cynics want El Clasico renamed El Overkillo. But surely no true football fan can knock these games. Not with such players on the pitch, not with such intensity and passion, not with such Oscar-winning acting, not knowing one set of the most fickle fans on earth will go home gutted before the end, and not with that feud between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Or rather, Jose Mourinho’s ego and the world. Because the magnificent sub-plot to every o...

2012-01-20T21:00:37Z