Matt Jones

It’s getting to the stage of the season when any slip ups can have critical consequences for a team. With just a clutch of games to go, a win can make an enormous difference, but a poor performance or an individual error can render all the hard work done over the previous months irrelevant. Subsequently, […]

Jurgen Klopp’s final game as Borussia Dortmund manager will be the final of the German Cup, as his side secured a dramatic 2-0 penalty shootout win over Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal; the sides were tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes. The hosts went ahead thanks to a first half goal from […]

Just over ten years ago, Duncan Ferguson turned his finest performance of many in Everton colors. The rumbustious Scot rolled back the years on an atmospheric evening at Goodison Park, running amok amidst a terrified Manchester United defence and scoring the winning goal for the Toffees in a famous 1-0 win. It was a special […]

We're edging ever closer to a thrilling climax in a clutch of European leagues, with much to play for at the top and bottom in various high-profile divisions. There are some wonderful rivalries to sample this weekend too, with the top two sides in England and Portugal set to battle it out in the race […]

On January 27 2001, Tranmere Rovers made the short journey across the River Mersey and humbled Everton 3-0 in a hopelessly one-sided FA Cup tie. It’s a game that remains etched into my own index of soccer memories, not only because of the wretched performance turned in by the Toffees that day, or because it […]

As Jack Grealish confirmed his status as England’s next hot young thing with a mesmeric display for Aston Villa under the Wembley arch and Harry Kane bagged his 30th goal of an extraordinary campaign with Tottenham Hotspur, Ross Barkley—last season’s in-vogue prospect—added another disappointing chapter to an auspicious season. The Everton midfield seized the responsibility […]

Editor's note: World Soccer Talk writer Matt Jones recently went on a mission from his home on the Wirral to take photographs of Prince Rupert's Tower in Liverpool, and to share his insight regarding the connection between the tower and the history of Everton Football Club. A soccer team’s crest is a pretty big deal. After […]

There have been a host of burgeoning sides in European soccer this season and a lot will face difficult litmus tests this weekend. In Spain, England and Italy, various emerging outfits have come to the fore in the second half of the campaign and they each tackle a clash at the home of their respective division’s […]

There was an understandably uncomfortable angst in Jurgen Klopp’s voice as he announced that this season would be his last as Borussia Dortmund manager. After all, this is a man who had fashioned a sentimental affinity with all associated with BVB, setting in motion a seven-year tenure rife with extraordinary thrills. After joining from Mainz in […]

Despite a stunning 2014, there have been criticisms aplenty since the turn of the year coming the way of Real Madrid’s players. Selfish, meek and lazy are the sorts of terms used to describe Carlo Ancelotti’s men as of late, more so given the manner in which they crumbled in the La Liga title race […]

The runs enjoyed by Liverpool under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers have been some of the most enthralling in the Premier League era. Last season’s 11-game winning sequence pushed the Reds to within touching distance of the Premier League title. In the current campaign, the chain of games they embarked on in late 2014—which saw […]

It’s been a tough month for Bayer Leverkusen. In the German Cup, they held the German champions for 120 minutes, in the Champions League they held Spanish champions Atletico Madrid over two legs, but on both occasions, the Bundesliga outfit were eliminated on penalties. Heartbreaking for their supporters. With nothing left to play domestically aside from […]

After Manchester United sagged back into the pack last season following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, it was wholly apparent they were going to have many obstacles to conquer before surging back to the forefront of English football. Not only did the club have the enormous challenge of replacing the man at the helm […]

We’re edging ever closer to a thrilling climax in a host of European leagues, with titles, spots in Europe and survival all to play for in the remaining weeks on the calendar. The Premier League is set for a typically intriguing finale. Two games catch the eye in England this weekend, one of which is […]

The factors behind who ends up with the PFA Player of the Year award have been varied down the years. Some winners have been obvious, others have triumphed in closer races, with various tangible and intangible factors considered in determining the most worthy winner. But I like to think it should be awarded to the player […]