From Leeds United’s Jack Clarke to Middlesbrough’s Marcus Tavernier, these 10 talented teenagers are quickly becoming fixtures in the future of footballAfter several game-changing cameos off the bench, the York-born forward was finally handed his full debut by Marcelo Bielsa last Sunday. Raw and direct, Clarke has the ability to grab games by the scruff of the neck; he kickstarted an extraordinary comeback victory at Villa Park last month and made a similar dent against Nottingham Forest and, before that, Sheffield United. Clarke has pleasantly surprised Bielsa, becoming the Argentinian’s go-to man, asked to spark Leeds into life at half-time on no fewer than six occasions since November. “When I started to look at his skills I didn’t imagine that...
Club hope little-known manager José Gomes and promising youngsters can stave off relegation after a historically bad 2018With 2019 merely hours old, trite platitudes and empty resolutions are all the rage. “New Year, New Me” and all that, but no team will be more desperate to usher in a new era than Reading, who, for a while, have wanted to see the back of the worst year – statistically – in the club’s history.The Royals picked up a miserly 36 points (from 138), the lowest tally in the Football League over the past year. The numbers make grisly viewing, yet things may get worse before they get better. Related: Reading sack Paul Clement after poor start to season Related: Derby’s...
Second tier may not match Premier League’s quality but its entertainment and unpredictability provide compelling dramaWhether it’s the absurdity of a 97th-minute Teemu Pukki winner, the way Marcelo Bielsa studiously refers to opposition players not by name but number, the six-point blanket that covers the top seven teams, or the pass-the-parcel manner in which six different sides have topped the table since August, the Championship’s eclectic charm has been plain this season. Unpredictable and unforgiving, it is a land of bewitching drama, which prompts the question: is it the best league in the country? Related: Championship: Norwich reclaim top spot, Abraham on the mark again Related: Tammy Abraham scores four as Aston Villa draw 5-5 with Nottingham Forest Continue reading...
The No 10 has captivated the crowds at Loftus Road and helped Steve McClaren’s side turn their Championship season aroundAt Loftus Road, there is a new No 10 in town. Eberechi Eze has a long way to go until he is mentioned in the same breath as Rodney Marsh or Stan Bowles, but there is no doubting the Queens Park Rangers playmaker’s ability to astound. A buccaneering performer, there are shades of the audacity of Adel Taarabt and the brain of Akos Buzsaky, but Eze is carving out a reputation in his own right as one of the most exciting young talents in the country.But Eze has not had it easy. Released by Millwall in 2016 the 20-year-old struggled as...
Ipswich’s new manager took a bulldozer to the squad but the revamp has left them bottom of the ChampionshipFor Ipswich, it was not supposed to be like this. One victory in 14 matches underlines a miserable few months since a changing of the guard at Portman Road.They hoped victory at Swansea would act as a springboard but followed it up with what Paul Hurst described as their worst performance so far; a painful case of one step forward, two steps back. Instead of reflecting on what could have been a crucial turning point, the worry is whether the Tractor Boys, bottom of the Championship, have already reached the point of no return. Related: Championship roundup: Joe Allen denies Blades return...