England hoping to end major tournament jinx
England has been there, seen it, but not done it over the past two major international football tournaments, failing to progress from the group stage with embarrassing results against countries perceived as minnows. At the 2014 World Cup finals England, already eliminated after defeats by ...
Southgate will keep World Cup foes guessing
With two friendly matches before the real thing gets underway in Russia you would think coaches should select the team with which they hope to open their 2018 World Cup campaign. England plays Nigeria at Wembley on Saturday, a sort of warm-up for Tunisia, the ...
Antonio Conte looks to give Chelsea a trophy on way out
If the Chelsea players want to give Antonio Conte a farewell present of winning the F.A. Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday, they will have to raise their game considerably from the shambolic, error-ridden performance in the 3-0 defeat by Newcastle United last ...
Putting Wenger's long run into perspective
Arsene Wenger will be given a hero's farewell at Emirates Stadium on Sunday when Arsenal plays Burnley, though the genuine affection rightly afforded him will be matched by a sense of relief that the greatest manager in the club's history is leaving after 22 ...
Man United faithful restless with Mourinho
Manchester United could probably have had Pep Guardiola, but in January 2013 the Catalan had agreed to take over at Bayern Munich. Instead, four months later, United appointed David Moyes as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor. United could also have signed Jurgen Klopp in the summer ...
Mighty Man City given reality check by Liverpool
Manchester City has collected compliments and plaudits almost on a weekly basis this season and rightly so, though the premature if inevitable claims about Pep Guardiola's team being the best English side of all-time took a severe dent when Liverpool thrashed — not too ...
Gareth Southgate faces difficult decisions to select England lineup for World Cup
As the countdown to Russia 2018 begins, England head coach Gareth Southgate does not so much have a selection headache as a full-blown migraine. The fact is that too many England players either aren't playing or aren't playing well. There are four matches before England's ...
Wenger putting off the inevitable
Yes, it was a big win. No, Arsenal was not expected to beat AC Milan 2-0 at San Siro in the Europa League. Yes, it saved the club from losing five matches in succession for the first time in 41 years. But no, one good ...
Clock ticking on Conte's time with Chelsea
"Antonio Conte has left his post as head coach of Chelsea. The club would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future." No, not a Japan Times exclusive, but a paragraph that will be coming your way in the ...
Liverpool moving on with Coutinho gone
Come May, Philippe Coutinho will probably have a La Liga and possibly a Copa del Rey winners' medal. He cannot play for Barcelona in the Champions League as he is ineligible, but two — even one — medal would be welcome because they would ...
Gap between big and small clubs a real issue
You could imagine the Sky Sports executives' expressions as they heard soccer pundit Jamie Carragher at halftime during Manchester City's 1-0 win at Newcastle on Wednesday. "It's not just Newcastle, but the Premier League in general, when they come up against the top six, certainly ...
Sean Dyche has Burnley moving in right direction
The Visit Lancashire website lists as one of the things to see in Burnley as the "iconic Singing Ringing Tree which towers high above Burnley on Crown Point Moor and has been named in the top 10 pieces of 'sound art' in the world." The ...
