Analysis

  1. Could burnout rob injury-prone Yamal of chance to match Messi?

    Gary Lineker never thought we'd see another player like Lionel Messi - until Lamine Yamal came along. "Just watching him, he makes it look so easy to beat a player. He goes past them almost as if they're invisible, like they're not there," the ex-England international enthused on the 'Stick to Football' podcast the morning after Barcelona's thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter on April 30.

  2. Kane is England's GOAT - but needs World Cup win to end the debate

    Premier League fans, particularly those of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion, were left disappointed this week when Harry Kane declared that he has no plans to come home as he is enjoying life with Bayern Munich so much. And why would he? He is primed to add another Bundesliga title to his maiden trophy won last year after firing Bayern to an explosive start to the season.

  3. No canopy, no land, no money?! The truth about United's new stadium

    It has been nearly seven months since Manchester United revealed their plans to build an ambitious new 100,000-seater stadium on the same site as Old Trafford with a glitzy video presented by world-famous architect Norman Foster. "Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium," said an excited Sir Jim Ratcliffe in March.

  4. Frank is super again! Lampard masterminding Coventry promotion bid

    It was always going to be interesting to see which way Frank Lampard would turn when his ill-advised, ill-fated second spell in interim charge of Chelsea came to a sorry end in May 2023. With his managerial reputation in tatters following his January sacking by Everton, would he throw himself at the next Premier League vacancy that cropped up, or would he take stock and aim to come back stronger? Two years on, he will be overjoyed that he pipped for the latter.

  5. Take a stand, Ruben! Man Utd must avoid farcical friendlies

    There was an air of resignation in Ruben Amorim's voice when he addressed reports of Manchester United's potential plans to jet off to Saudi Arabia in the middle of the season to play friendly games. The Portuguese is a coach that talks of the importance of focus, on having lots of training sessions, of being fully committed to the cause of reviving the club's fortunes. And exhibition tours fly in the face of all that.

  6. Sunderland are showing Man Utd how a football club should be run

    Welcome to Wrexham showed the pain and glory of British lower league football to the world but it would never have existed without Sunderland Till I Die. Rob McElhenney watched the documentary on the recommendation of his actor friend Humphrey Ker and was immediately hooked. After finishing the series he instantly decided he wanted to invest in a lower league club and soon his ambitious project with Ryan Reynolds was born.

  7. NXGN Monthly: Yamal back from injury as Mastantuono makes history

    Every month, GOAL brings you the top stories involving teenage wonderkids and the world's best young footballers. During September, there was plenty to be said about the likes of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono, but there were also plenty of other headlines made by the planet's emerging stars in both the men's and women's games.

  8. The great Foden revival: How Man City's starboy got his mojo back

    It was only a few months ago that Phil Foden was so worn out physically and mentally that he asked not to be selected by England. Now he is putting his hand up to play games that he wouldn’t normally be considered for. The fire within him that almost burned out is raging again and he has rekindled Manchester City’s fortunes, fuelling their impressive return to form from their worst start to a season in 20 years.

  9. What's stopping Man Utd from sacking Ruben Amorim?

    To outsiders, the fact that Manchester United have not sacked Ruben Amorim yet is one of the great mysteries of our time. There have been several occasions when the Portuguese would have been given his marching orders at many other top clubs. Can you imagine Real Madrid sticking with a coach that had lost eight out of 12 league games between last December and February?