Columnists

JOHN ROBERTS wrote for the Daily Express, The Guardian, the Daily Mail and The Independent, where he was the tennis correspondent for 20 years. He collaborated with Bill Shankly on the Liverpool manager’s autobiography, ghosted Kevin Keegan’s first book, and has written books on George Best, Manchester United’s Busby Babes (The Team That Wouldn’t Die) and Everton (The Official […]

By Andy Cole 29 January 2010 Imagine this scenario: you’re in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, playing against Manchester United, your former club with whom you won the Champions League, and then you score a goal – not a bad goal at all, as it happens – which at the moment you […]

By Andy Cole 20 January 2010 Manchester United would have benefited from taking up their option on Carlos Tevez last summer instead of letting him go, to Manchester City as it transpired. I know that’s a view that puts me at odds with Gary Neville – sorry Nev – and even with Sir Alex Ferguson, who ultimately made […]

By Jonnie Baker 19 January 2010 The English Premier League, or EPL as people who must immediately be smothered are prone to call it, is the best league in the world. We know this because a man said it the other day and we must trust the men from football or all about us shall […]

By Andy Cole 14 January 2010 I’m not surprised that a contract for Sol Campbell at Arsenal is imminent because Arsène Wenger knows better than anyone that Sol still has something to offer in the Premier League. Wenger will be aware what shape Sol is in because he has been training there for a few […]

By Andy Cole 7 January 2010 I’ve been in the Manchester United dressing room after surprising defeats and it’s not pretty. I can only imagine it was similarly loud and uncomfortable – and possibly even terrifying – for the players who had to face the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson after Sunday’s shock 1-0 FA […]

By Helen Harris 7 January 2010 I am not interested in sport, or so I thought, and with good reason.  I never read the sports pages of the newspapers. The first note of the Match of the Day theme tune is my signal for an early night, and if conversation turns (by some extraordinary lack […]

JOHN ROBERTS wrote for the Daily Express, The Guardian, the Daily Mail and The Independent, where he was the tennis correspondent for 20 years. He collaborated with Bill Shankly on the Liverpool manager’s autobiography, ghosted Kevin Keegan’s first book, and has written books on George Best, Manchester United’s Busby Babes (The Team That Wouldn’t Die) […]

By Jonnie Baker 1 January 2010 I’m not convinced I know much about football. No, what I mean is, I’m not convinced I understand much about football. Certainly I boast a reasonable knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the game – that the Saddlers are Walsall and Josimar scored a screamer for Brazil while […]

By Andy Cole 31 December 2009 The middle of the most remarkable Premier League season we’ve ever had is as good a time as any to reflect on a great 2009, and a defining decade for England’s top division. Not that England’s top division has a monopoly on magnificent talent, which leads me nicely to […]