Manchester united

Yesterday

Roger Alton

Is Harry Brook a good captain?

How cheering to realise that, as winter decides to make itself properly felt, the world of cricket has given us a series of half-volleys outside the off stump to keep our interest thrumming. First up, three great matches – the second Test at the unpronounceable Gqeberha between South Africa and Australia, and two extraordinary 50-over matches in Pakistan which England contrived to lose from seemingly impregnable positions. We have seen two magnificent innings, from Temba Bavuma and Harry Brook, while ‘Sandpaper Dave’ Warner took the opportunity to slag off Test cricket on the anniversaryof his cheating in Cape Town eight years ago. Finally, Sir Jimmy Anderson was sacked by Lancashire with especially graceless timing.

Tuesday

Ian Sansom

From tragedy to mockery: Munichs, by David Peace, reviewed

If you have been to a football match in the past few years you will doubtless be familiar with what the Crown Prosecution Service defines as ‘tragedy-related abuse’. It is when supporters, David Peace writes, sing, chant or gesture offensive messages about disasters or accidents involving players or fans – including references to the Hillsborough Disaster, Munich Air Crash, Bradford Fire, the Leeds fans killed in Istanbul or the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash. The word ‘Munichs’, for example, is sometimes used as a term of abuse for Manchester United fans, and it’s not unknown for the opposition at Old Trafford to extend their arms, like little children pretending to be aeroplanes.

Thursday

Roger Alton

Is pro-golf eating itself? 

Spare a thought for Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag. He’s got a fairly crummy, injury-hit team who appear to have given up running (apart from Alejandro Garnacho who is still young enough to think that it’s OK to belt down the left wing and then deposit the ball somewhere, though not in goal). His new owner is pictured in the stands with his head in his hands and he has to cope with the choleric visage of his predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson watching on with an expression of scarcely controlled contempt, while two former United godfathers, Gary Neville and Roy Keane, fulminate in the Sky commentary box about how crap the manager is.

Wednesday

Steerpike

Has Gary Neville taken his eye off the ball?

'Enough', said Gary Neville this week as he (once again) attacked Boris Johnson. The ex-footballer is no stranger to attacking the Tories: in the past few months, the former England right-back has dubbed Johnson a 'liar', bizarrely suggested that the PM is a 'spaghetti bolognese of a man' and accused the Government of 'incompetency'.  Neville is clearly a busy man: as well as his day job talking about football, he is listed as a director for 56 firms Even football fans aren't safe from Neville's bit-part political punditry.

Monday

Matt McDonald

Why the European Super League is a really bad idea

From our US edition

Billionaire soccer club owners are being accused of self-interest and greed — and I for one am shocked. News of the proposed European Super League stunned sports fans worldwide this weekend. Twelve of Europe’s most historically successful clubs are proposing the formation of a 20-team league to become the new top tier of European competition, superseding the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. The ‘founding members’ of the ESL cannot be relegated — which the British press has dubbed an ‘NFL model’. That doesn’t seem like a fair comparison — the NFL is much more egalitarian. The American sports leagues may not have relegation, but they do operate a draft system which helps keep the rosters even over a 15-year period.

european super league