Sports Direct HQ sold to Malaysian pension fund for £120m May 28, 2019 Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has confirmed the freehold sale of its headquarters to a Malaysian pension fund. The sportswear retailer, which will continue to occupy the building on a 15-year lease, said this morning that it has sold its logistics centre to Kwasa Logix Sportivo for more than £120m in cash. Read more: Debenhams versus [...]
Manchester City: Treble winners, record breakers, untouchable – and too good? May 19, 2019 In the wake of a domestic treble unprecedented in English men’s football, there should be no sparing of praise for the brilliance of Manchester City. Saturday’s FA Cup final against Watford was a devastating showcase: a 6-0 dismantling of a good team, the most emphatic margin of victory in the fixture for more than a [...]
Trevor Steven: My manager and players of the year from a vintage Premier League season May 13, 2019 Manchester City are champions again but they will never win a tougher Premier League title than this year’s. They and Liverpool have played at such a high level for the duration of the top-flight campaign that I can’t imagine we’ll see anything like it again for a long while. That is reflected in my choices [...]
In the world’s strongest league, Manchester City prove they are the best of the best May 12, 2019 The midweek may have belonged to Liverpool and Tottenham, but the season is Manchester City’s. Pep Guardiola’s team on Sunday issued a timely reminder to the Premier League that they remain the best in the land, becoming the first to retain the trophy since 2009 with a 4-1 final-day win at Brighton. And at the close [...]
Trevor Steven: Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool united by outstanding coaches and refusal to give in May 7, 2019 However the Premier League concludes on Sunday, I don’t think the competition has ever seen two better teams than Manchester City and Liverpool. Both are a credit to the division and could easily be champions in any other season. And thank goodness for Liverpool for hanging in there and keeping pace with City until the [...]
Relentless excellence of Manchester City and Liverpool makes this the best ever Premier League title race April 25, 2019 This is by no means the first close title race of the Premier League era. Blackburn set an early benchmark when they pipped Manchester United by a solitary point in 1995, and Arsenal, United – twice – and Chelsea have all done the same since, while nothing has yet matched the drama of Sergio Aguero’s [...]
Raheem Sterling may miss out on Player of the Year, but he deserves recognition for his contribution to the game this season April 25, 2019 Raheem Sterling may seemingly have missed out on the PFA Player of the Year award to Virgil van Dijk, but no one can take away what the England and Manchester City forward has achieved on and off the pitch this season. The 24-year-old has encapsulated everything that a footballer should be: a competitor on the [...]
Premier League given profit warning as rising wage bills eat into margins despite record revenue April 25, 2019 The Premier League may be experiencing a vintage season on the pitch, with a title race for the ages, most key positions in the table still undecided and English clubs dominating in Europe once more. But off the field the picture appears to be taking a turn for the worse, with top-flight teams’ most recent [...]
Trevor Steven: Don’t blame Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United’s slump is down to their average squad April 23, 2019 When the two teams met in the Premier League 12 months ago, Manchester United succeeded in disrupting Manchester City’s title charge with a 3-2 win over their neighbours. It’s hard to see that being repeated at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening. In fact, it’s hard to see anything but an emphatic win for the men [...]
Trevor Steven: Manchester City’s make-or-break week in their quadruple bid starts against Tottenham April 16, 2019 Last week I was lucky enough to visit Manchester City’s training facilities and witness how they are building not only success on the pitch but also a global brand. It was mind-blowing; they are so ahead of the game, I have never seen anything like it. Winning the quadruple would be the ultimate endorsement of [...]