It was straight in at the deep end for me as Aston Villa women’s sporting director and the game has to be ready when it returnsWith a horrifying toll of more than 26,000 people losing their lives from Covid-19, the UK has a dark cloud over it with many, including myself, trying to find hope and waiting to get closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. It is a huge test of patience and resolve.So many industries are on hold and trying to plan in a period full of uncertainty. Football is no different. Still we do not know when football will be back in this country, and in what form. Related: Mourinho says talk of Premier...
Issues the FA was willing to overlook have come home to roost and a quick decision must be made over the Tokyo OlympicsThe appointment of Phil Neville as manager of the Lionesses was shambolic. Not on the initial shortlist, or even longlist, rumour has it Neville’s name was dropped into the ring by a jesting journalist. As candidate after candidate fell out of the running, the Football Association’s handling of Mark Sampson and the increased scrutiny associated with the role putting some off, suddenly Neville was appointed.Unveiling a manager with no experience in women’s football raised eyebrows but was not necessarily a problem, in fact his lack of baggage within the women’s game was a plus. Giving the top job...
The 12-month delay to the women’s European Championship in England offers the FA time to reset its insipid planThe queue for security inside Charles de Gaulle airport moved at a snail’s pace and, easily distinguishable in their tracksuits, the England women’s team were trapped amid the shuffling throng.In that increasingly distant time BC – before coronavirus – the absence of physical distancing felt reassuringly normal. The players, heading to London and Manchester from Paris following a friendly defeat against France in October 2017, raised no objections. Related: 'Baptism of fire': meet two female footballers working in hospitals | Suzanne Wrack Continue reading...
Experiencing a new culture brings challenges, such as language, which are far outweighed by the rewardsNot long ago the only British players to move to Europe were established first-team stars at the top of their game, attracted by the greater wages and prestige on offer in the major leagues of France, Spain, Italy and Germany. I grew up watching Serie A when it was the biggest league in the world and could attract England internationals at the peak of their careers. The Premier League has since become more prestigious and lucrative than any of them, but there are still good reasons for English players to look abroad, whatever their age. Related: Jadon Sancho holds all the cards as Dortmund look...
Arsenal face Chelsea on Saturday with both sides desperate to get their hands on silverware amid a pile of intriguing subplotsArsenal face Chelsea in the Continental Cup final on Saturday evening in what should be a fascinating conclusion to a sometimes maligned competition. Earlier this season Emma Hayes, the Chelsea manager, said she wanted to get rid of it completely, and this week she said it was the trophy her team most want to win – and I expect she’ll be delighted if her side take the title for the first time.Chelsea certainly go into the game with the upper hand. Arsenal have lost only four league games since the start of 2019 and three were to Chelsea. In October...