Matt Jones

A pulsating end to the 2015-16 La Liga season left the watching world enchanted and similar drama is anticipated in what will be another blockbuster edition of Spanish soccer’s top flight this term. Eventually, Barcelona clung on to their position at the top of the table and will be favorites to do so again in […]

Although Juventus have lost the most expensive player of all time this summer in Paul Pogba, on the cusp of a brand new Serie A season it’s almost impossible to the see the Italian champions for the last five terms in a row letting their crown slip. Under the guidance of manager Massimiliano Allegri, the […]

An upcoming Premier League season is always expected to be the most exciting of all time. Although as we stand on the brink of another nine months of frenetic action from English football’s top flight, anticipation is huge. Not only will last season’s surprise champions, Leicester City, be defending the crown they won with such […]

At the start of Jose Mourinho’s second season in his second spell at Chelsea, one that ultimately yielded a Premier League title, the ethos of the illustrious coach seemed to have shifted substantially. The Blues began the campaign with a swagger and, as is uncharacteristic for the Portuguese’s teams, a cavalier attacking flair. Chelsea scored […]

Wales are not a one-man team. Chris Coleman and his players have proven that beyond any doubt both on the road to the European Championships and at the finals themselves. In qualifying they defended tremendously, conjured chances at key moments and cultivated a team spirit that exudes from the camp. In France itself, there have […]

One of the hallmarks of Wales’ emergence as a force on the international stage has been the unburdened style of football they’ve been playing. Under the guidance of manager Chris Coleman, their currency has been pragmatism, organization and sprinkling of brilliance from the magnificent Gareth Bale. Yet there’s an evident enjoyment about the way in […]

Monday night in Lyon at the grand Stade des Lumieres was the stage Romelu Lukaku would have been itching to perform on for a long time. Having toiled at the point of an Everton team that had downed tools on its manager Roberto Martinez in the final weeks of the 2015-16 season, the Belgium international […]

When Everton looked set to miss out on Ronald Koeman, the man anointed as the club’s top target to fill the vacancy left by the dismissed Roberto Martinez, there would have been a collective shrug of the shoulders from the majority of those of a blue persuasion. This was, after all, adhering to the recent […]

The final selection of games this season is arguably the very best of the lot, as the domestic cup finals across Europe bring the curtain down on the campaign. In England, Germany, Italy and Spain we’ll see two teams going all out looking to add a late silver lining to 2015-16. It’s a chance for […]

All things majorly significant have been settled in the Premier League this season, but the race to get into English soccer’s top flight is about to take a dramatic turn. Indeed, the Championship playoffs are so often the most entertaining games of the campaign and the four clubs involved begin this mini-tournament this weekend, seeking […]

For the last 14 years, Evertonians have only known two managers in David Moyes and Roberto Martinez. So, quite naturally, there have always been comparisons made between the two. Those contrasts have been easy to formulate because of the striking differences in the principles held by each man. Moyes was a pragmatist and a conservative […]

With the Premier League champions now confirmed, attention will turn to the bottom of the division this weekend, as there are three vital games in the race to stay afloat in the top flight. Two of them—involving sides in the bottom three hosting illustrious names, as does a clash to determine which side will join […]

Ahead of the 2013-14 season, Real Madrid and Barcelona were involved in an arms race in the transfer window. Having won the title the campaign before, the Blaugrana were keen to preserve some distance between themselves and their great rivals, signing Neymar in a huge deal from Santos. Los Blancos, seeking to close the gap […]

The top of La Liga takes center stage this weekend, as three teams continue their tussle to be crowned Spanish champions. But it’s not the only division in European soccer where an extremely tight battle is set to pan out at the summit. In the Championship, English soccer's second tier, three teams on the same […]

Although soccer purists will tell you the semi-finals of the FA Cup shouldn’t be at Wembley Stadium, every time this weekend comes around on the soccer calendar there’s a sense of excitement at the two games to be played under the iconic arch approach. This weekend’s clashes should be fascinating affairs, especially given all four […]