Lancaster chooses the pragmatic path to success

By Jots du Jardin @jotsdujardin @TLE_Sport Stuart Lancaster's squad selection is an admission that he'd be happy to only reach the quarter finals in next year's World Cup. It's the type of squad he believes he'll need to beat Australia and Wales in 2015, not South Africa, New Zealand and the Wallabies this Autumn. In his press conference after announcing his squad, Lancaster was uncompromising in his message: “To be the best it’s not about the flash stuff,” he said....

Not so Super Mario

Sport News 24/7 By David de Winter – Sports Editor @davidjdewinter @TLE_Sport When Liverpool signed Mario Balotelli a few days before the close of the transfer window, plenty of eyebrows were raised.  Not another troublemaker?  How will he fit into the club’s playing style?  Can he fill the sizeable shoes of Luis Suarez? At the time I was slightly puzzled as to why Brendan Rodgers had splashed the cash on the Italian.  Given that without Suarez, Liverpool were always going...

Back to mid-table with a bump – Aston Villa’s rapid fall

Sport News 24/7 By Adam Clark @AdamClarkers @TLE_Sport For a brief moment at the start of this season Aston Villa soared improbably and gloriously into third place. But the Premier League is a harsh mistress, especially when you play Ciaran Clark at centre-back. 4 losses, 11 goals conceded and 0 goals scored. Like Icarus, Villa flew too close to the sun and are now paying the price. Those in claret and blue will feel a strange sense of being punished...

Neil Lennon: Bolton’s Messiah

Sport News 24/7 By Rob Latham @robilaz @TLE_Sport Rooted to the bottom of the Championship. One league win from ten. Only eight league goals scored. It was clear something had to change at Bolton Wanderers. The hierarchy eventually listened to calls from their supporters and parted way with Dougie Freedman following an abject 4-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Fulham just before the international break. And in the Scot’s place came Northern Irish manager Neil Lennon. Lennon has immediately breathed life...

Podcast – 5

Sport News 24/7 This week Sports Editor David de Winter and Richard de Winter reflect on successful Euro 2016 campaigns for the home nations, dicuss Kevin Pietersen's autobiography and debate Ben Flower's sending-off in the Super League Grand Final.  

Lee Clark and the Comet

Sport News 24/7 By Chris Brown @vivabrownie @TLE_Sport Springfield. The time is 4.30am. A clear, crisp, purple-black sky plays backdrop to a multitude of glistening stars arranged in their numerous constellations. The residents of the famous cartoon town sleep, unperturbed, save for two of its better known characters – Principal Skinner and Bart Simpson - who are conducting various exercises relating to amateur astronomy in the grounds outside the Springfield Elementary School. This is ‘Bart’s Comet’, an episode wedged firmly...

What Next For Poyet and Sunderland?

Sport News 24/7 By Stuart Buck @TLE_Sport The noise inside Gus Poyet’s head on Saturday afternoon must have been deafening. Forget about the actual noise in St. Mary’s, that was merely the fully justified cacophony of a set of supporters more than entitled to enjoy themselves; the number of questions buzzing within the Uruguayan’s brain would have drowned that out twice over. You can analyse all you like, but any 8-0 score line would leave one team looking fantastic and...

Better than the Heineken Cup?

Sport News 24/7 By David de Winter – Sports Editor @davidjdewinter @TLE_Sport This weekend marks the début of the new European Rugby Champions Cup.  After intense negotiations the now-defunct Heineken Cup was panned and a new, improved version was approved.  Not much has changed; there are now only 20 teams in the competition vying for the 8 quarter final slots instead of last season’s 24.  This means fewer, if no easy games and intense competition from the off.  So who...

Newcastle need a manager with a vision

Sport News 24/7 By Ian Carroll @TLE_Sport Alan Pardew is still Newcastle United manager.  He’ll be Newcastle United manager, at St James’ Park, again this weekend against Leicester City who are managed by ex-United caretaker Nigel Pearson.  Luckily for Alan, Mr Pearson tends to spend a lot of his time sat in the stand, getting a good view of the game and able to make rational calls.  This is something Alan said he’d do himself after he was banned for...

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