Leicester City – Nigel Pearson, return of the king or a ghost that that should have stayed buried?

There’s an old adage that is often repeated in the world of football; you should never go back. Players are warned of the perils of returning to former clubs for fear of tarnishing their carefully cultivated reputations at past homes. And managers even more so, lest we forget the almighty car crash ...

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Prem Relegation Battle: Could history repeat?

Not since the 2001/02 season have all three promoted sides from the Championship – or indeed the old First Division - survived the following year playing with the big-boys. So, nearly a decade-on could history repeat? Newcastle have adapted the better out of the trio and don’t look out of place in ...

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Villa fans should beware of 'next big thing'...

An integral part of Arsenal’s 2003-04 invincible set-up has returned to England as Gerard Houllier attempts to stabilise his new squad, and if any Villa fans are uncertain of Houllier’s 37-year-old coup they should glance back ten years or so for comfort. Robert Pires may be in his twilight but he ...

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Tottenham reach end of ‘that’ ten year cycle…

Bournemouth F.C. escaped dropping out of the football league in 1993, the man responsible for this was Harry Redknapp. This same squad also shocked Manchester Utd in the FA cup that season by converting the holders into also-rans. Tottenham were considered more a cup team before Redknapp took charg...

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Hodgson requires patience...

At the time of writing Liverpool were still in the Coca-Cola Cup, but the sentiment remains.BBC Radio5 Live’s Jan Molby, (after defeat to Northampton, 22/09): “ I think we are seeing the legacy of the Rafael Benitez reign right here…”Internet forum’s were awash with scathing attacks on Roy Hodgson a...

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3986: Manager Profile: Alan Pardew

by : Sam Cullen “I always thought he (Krul) was capable of a mature performance. I knew he wouldn't have any nerves. He's strong and confident.” claims Magpies boss Glenn Roeder, wise after the event. Newcastle’s progress from Group H is looking likely as they top the table on six points, three cl...

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3193: Manager Profile:Iain Dowie

by : Sam Cullen Iain Dowie's departure from Crystal Palace came to a shock to many football fans across the country. Ok, so he hadn't returned Palace to the Premiership but he had got them in the play-offs and all seemed relatively peaceful at Selhurst Park. The softly spoken chairman Simon Jordan ...

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2960: Manager Profile:Graham Rix

by : Sam Cullen Graham Rix appears to fall into that over populated category of impressive former footballers who seem to fail to transfer that awareness of the game into their managerial career. As a player he was best known for his days at Arsenal at the end of the ‘70s and early 80s, which argua...

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2106: Manager profile: Gordon Strach

by : Alex Wolstenholme Gordon Strachan has been linked with a number of vacant managerial jobs since leaving Southampton but is now back in the game, replacing Martin O’Neill as the man in charge at Celtic and hoping to write the latest chapter in an eventful and mostly successful career. The winn...

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1061: Manager profile: Kevin Keegan,

by : Colin Illingworth Kevin Keegan has today left Manchester City - and is now expected to end his active involvement in football. No doubt the TV executives will be luring him onto a sofa soon, but there will be few who will not be sad to see a genuine personality and football lover leave the ga...

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1583: Manager Profile: Micky Adams,

by : Alex Wolstenholme Micky Adams has been handed the task of guiding Coventry City away from the relegation zone in the Championship after succeeding Peter Reid at Highfield Road and becomes the sixth permanent boss at the club since relegation from the top flight in 2001. After a playing career...

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1107: Manager Profile: Gary Megson

by : Colin Illingworth Gary Megson has moved quickly back into football management, just three months after being sacked by West Bromwich Albion, he has joined relegation threatened Nottingham Forest. Mick Harford and Des Walker have quit the club at the same time. Megson was sacked by West Brom ...

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1314: Manager Profile: Harry Redknap

by : Chris Sherrard No matter how much you try to think otherwise, there remains a lingering feeling that Milan Mandaric and Portsmouth have shot themselves in the foot by undermining, and ultimately driving out, Harry Redknapp. The likeable Londoner had transformed Pompey from second tier struggl...

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1248: Manager Profile: John Toshack,

by : Alex Wolstenholme John Toshack takes over as Wales manager with one final point to prove after a career as both a player and manager that has seen him win most of the game’s major honours both at home and abroad. Toshack joined Liverpool from Cardiff in 1970 and spent seven years with, what, ...

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1196: Manager Profile: Bertie Vogts,

by : Colin Illingworth Bertie Vogts looks to have been given a stay of execution by the officials at the SFA but here we take a look at the life and times of the big German dubbed ‘Der Terrier’. Bertie began his football career with Bundesliga outfit Borrusia Monchengladbach, his one and only prof...

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1076: MANAGER PROFILE: Steve Bruce,

by : Chris Sherrard Steve Bruce has had his fair share of managerial jobs over the course of a relatively short career as a boss but he seems to have settled on Birmingham City as the club with which he can achieve his current ambitions in the game. The man who was extraordinarily never capped by ...

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1075: MANAGER PROFILE: Sam Allardyce

by : Chris Sherrard Big Sam is a rarity in the game these days – an English manager, plying his trade in the Premiership and good enough to take the national team job; if he wanted it. Bolton Wanderers did an incredible job to tie Allardyce down to a ten-year contract. Most clubs wouldn’t mind him...

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1097: MANAGER PROFILE: Iain Dowie, C

by : Chris Sherrard Even in the unlikely event of Iain Dowie abruptly retiring from management to concentrate on a modelling career, his short spell as a boss would be regarded as an unmitigated triumph. He took Crystal Palace from the abyss at the foot of the old First Division to the dizzy heigh...

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1077: MANAGER PROFILE: Arsene Wenger

by : Chris Sherrard What would the Premiership be without Arsene Wenger? Certainly an easier one for Manchester United players and supporters. But a poorer one for the absence of such quality and excellence that the Frenchman has brought in the eight years he has been on these shores. If Wenger ha...

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1073: MANAGER PROFILE: Jose Mourinho

by : Chris Sherrard He’s the cocky, nay, self-assured Portuguese manager who has given English and European football a major shake-up. And isn’t the game a more interesting one with him involved? You have to say he has more than enough reason to be proud of what he has achieved already in his shor...

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1154: MANAGER PROFILE: Nigel Worthin

by : Colin Illingworth Nigel Worthington is a legend in the Steel City from his playing days at Sheffield Wednesday but he will be a hero in East Anglia if he can keep Norwich City in the Premiership this season. In just four years at Carrow Road Worthington, one of the games brightest young manag...

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1092: MANAGER PROFILE: David O’Leary

by : Chris Sherrard The self-styled nave manager who fends off any regular abuse on ‘his babies’ with such aplomb, David O’Leary remains a likeable personality. Maybe it was because he was such a fine player. Maybe it’s because for people of a certain nationality (Irish) he will always be a legend...

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1145: MANAGER PROFILE: Micky Adams

by : Chris Sherrard Micky Adams has been rightly regarded as one of the brightest young managers in English football over the last number of years. His glowing coaching reputation has been bore out of a playing career which was mainly played out in the top flight, most memorably with Southampton. ...

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1101: MANAGER PROFILE: Mark Hughes,

by : Chris Sherrard If Mark Hughes turns out to be half as good as a manager as he was a player then he will surely add to his personal trophy cabinet and growing reputation in the years ahead. After ending his glittering playing career at Blackburn Rovers, the Welshman now finds his first domesti...

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1081: MANAGER PROFILE: Alex McLeish,

by : Colin Illingworth The pressure is on Alex McLeish to get a result against Maritimo in the Uefa Cup. Already trailing 1-0 from the away leg the vultures are gathering around his head following a stuttering start that has seen them knocked out of the Champions League and trail Celtic by five poi...

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1074: MANAGER PROFILE: Paul Sturrock

by : Colin Illingworth Paul Sturrock is the new manager of Sheffield Wednesday following a glittering career as player and promising career as manager. Sturrock will be hoping that his time in the hot seat at Hillsborough will be a little bit longer than his time at Southampton which he left just ...

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